Lying to the FBI isn’t a serious crime. It’s an “infraction” similar to “pulling off mattress tags, jaywalking” and “parking tickets.” So says Matt Schlapp, a Republican lobbyist and activist, when he tries to downplay the felony convictions and guilty pleas of Michael Flynn and other Trump associates. He goes even further by characterizing the charges against Flynn as “blackmail.” Read story here.
But don’t rely on Schlapp for legal advice; he isn’t a lawyer. Lying to the FBI can brand you as a felon and land you in prison. The judge in Flynn’s case told Trump’s national security adviser he is “disgusted” by Flynn’s actions and scolded him, “Arguably, you sold your country out.”
Schlapp, who got his start in politics as a lobbyist for the Koch brothers, now has his own lobbying firm in partnership with his wife, Mercedes, a former NRA board member who currently runs the White House office of strategic communications.
Schlapp also chairs the American Conservative Union, which annually puts on a high-profile conference known as “CPAC” that brings together conservative activists and politicians.