WASHINGTON – In what appears to be a massive blow to US President Donald Trump, one of his former aides Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigations about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

The confession made on Friday could create troubles for Trump as Former national security adviser Flynn confirmed that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak with direction from top Trump officials.

Flynn’s plea revealed that he was in touch with senior Trump transition officials before and after his communications with the ambassador, setting the tongues wagging as to how could be the official behind all the controversy.

‘It has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of ‘treason’ and other outrageous acts. Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for. But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right’ Flynn said in a statement.

‘My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.’ he added in his sensational disclosures.

Flynn, who was forced to quit office earlier this year after allegations emerged regarding his links with Moscow, admitted in his plea that he lied to the FBI about several December conversations with Russian ambassador Kislyak.

According to court records, on Dec. 22, he contacted the Russian ambassador about the incoming Trump administration’s opposition to a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal and requested that Russia vote against or delay it to which the ambassador later called back and indicated Russia would not vote against it.

Moreover, in another conversation, on Dec. 29, Flynn called the ambassador for detente between Washington and Moscow calling upon Russia not to escalate an ongoing tussle over sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats by the Obama administration. The Russian ambassador later called back and said Russia had chosen not to retaliate, the records say.

In his plea, that sent shockwaves across the economic giant, Flynn admitted that when the FBI interrogated him on Jan. 24 about his dealings with the Russians, he did not truthfully describe the interactions. Interestingly, he said others in the transition team knew he was in contact with Kislyak.

Flynn admitted that before speaking with the Russian envoy, he called a senior transition official at the Mar-a-Lago resort on Dec. 29 ‘to discuss what, if anything, to communicate to the Russian ambassador about the U.S. Sanctions’ to which he was informed that transition members did not want Russia to escalate the situation.

After the conversation, when the ambassador assured not retaliating in the same tone, Flynn conveyed this to senior members of the transition team, court records say.

The senior transition official is not identified in records, but people familiar with the matter say it is K.T. McFarland, who is now nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to Singapore.

Another account about the top official suggests that the son-in-law of tycoon-turned-president, Jared Kushner could be the mastermind behind all the Russia controversy.

Hours after the statement, White House rejected the idea that Flynn could implicate anyone else, responding to the ABC News report that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to contact Kremlin during the campaign.

ABC later issued a clarification, saying its source said Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow after the November 2016 election.

If the charge is proven, the accused can be sent to five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal as court filings show, special prosecutor Robert Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail.

Flynn’s Russia Links

The former NSA has become the fourth person charged in the Mueller probe into possible collusion between the president’s campaign team and Moscow.

The 58-year-old retired three-star Army General was in December, a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was definitely poised to be a top candidate to become Trump’s White House national security advisor.

The White House, which has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Moscow, said Flynn’s admitted lies about those meetings ‘mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation’.

“Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn,” said White House attorney Ty Cobb.