Report: K.T. McFarland's testimony on Flynn's Russian contacts in question
President Trump's former deputy national security adviser, K.T. McFarland, appears to have contradicted herself regarding whether she knew of discussions between Michael Flynn and the former Russian Ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak.
According to The New York Times, McFarland, who's been nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to Singapore, was asked over the summer by Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, whether she had spoken to Flynn about his contacts with Kislyak before the president's inauguration.
"I am not aware of any of the issues or events described above," McFarland wrote back, according to the report.
The New York Times, however, also obtained an email exchange that suggested otherwise -- that McFarland was aware of a phone call Flynn had with Kislyak last December, according to the report.
"General Flynn is talking to the Russian ambassador this evening," she wrote in one email to a transition official, the report said. "If there is a tit-for-tat escalation, Trump will have difficulty improving relations with Russia which has just thrown U.S.A. election to him."
CBS News' Major Garrett reported on Friday that McFarland was the "senior official" on the presidential transition team Flynn spoke to in Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 29 about Russia sanctions and potential Russian reaction. Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of lying to the FBI.
Booker expressed concern Monday, the Times said, that McFarland might have provided "false testimony."
"If this is the case, this is an alarming development, and another example of a pattern of deception on the part of Trump's closest associates regarding their connections and communications to Russian government officials," he said.