Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office has filed a joint statement with Michael Flynn's defense team saying the two sides are ready for sentencing, after three previous delays, in the case against President Trump's former national security advisor who pleaded guilty last December of lying to the FBI and who has been cooperating.
USA Today's Brad Heath has the court document, noting on Twitter, "Prosecutors had previously said they would delay [Flynn's] sentencing until his cooperation was complete."
Health explains more about the statement's suggested timing and what it likely means:
Flynn could under federal guidelines face up to six months in prison for lying to the FBI about his conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the transition period from the Nov. 8, 2016, election to the Jan. 20, 2017, inauguration. His cooperation with the special counsel would likely mean he receives little if any prison time.
Judge Sullivan has said once the prosecution and defense are both prepared to proceed with sentencing, he will request a pre-sentencing report, which is generally an investigation into the history of the person convicted and whether there are extenuating circumstances.
The judge also said he would set sentencing for 60 days after Mueller's team says they're prepared to move forward.
Flynn largely has been out of the public eye since entering his guilty plea, turned up in St. Louis Friday to give a speech and accept an award.
"I want to make sure that I'm very precise because I know there will be a lot of people -- especially in the back row there -- who will pay attention to whatever the heck I say, and I want to make sure that they get the words that I say right," Flynn told an audience of conservative activists in St. Louis on Friday night.
"The back row" was an apparent reference to news media at the event organized by the Gateway Pundit website and Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, a group named for the late conservative stalwart. Flynn was honored with the Gen. Jack Singlaub Award for Service to America.
Flynn's remarks on Friday were notable for what they left out. He did not mention President Trump, who fired him as national security adviser three weeks into the presidency. He said nothing about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, in which Flynn became ensnared for misleading FBI agents about his contacts with Russia's ambassador during the presidential transition in late 2016.
He also made no reference to the news Friday that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort made a plea deal with Mueller and agreed to be a cooperating witness.
Before this past weekend, Flynn hadn't made an appearance in months.
He has been mostly out of the public view since his guilty plea, but broke his silence in March with a brief speech in support of California congressional candidate Omar Navarro, a Republican vying for Maxine Waters' seat.
"What I'm not here to do, is I'm not here to complain about who has done me wrong, or how unfair I've been treated or how unfair the entire process has been," Flynn said while introducing Navarro. "You know what it is."
Flynn, who sources say has since received many such invites to campaign for conservative candidates, has turned them all down on the advice that such public appearances will not help him ahead of sentencing.
Former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, who has been laying low, makes rare public speech (ABC News)