▁again ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 7 . ▁She ▁informed ▁McG ahn ▁that ▁F lyn n ▁was ▁" comp rom ised " ▁and ▁possibly ▁open ▁to ▁black mail ▁by ▁the ▁Rus si ans . ▁Y ates ▁told ▁McG ahn ▁that ▁F lyn n ▁had ▁mis led ▁P ence ▁and ▁other ▁administration ▁officials ▁about ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁his ▁conversation ▁with ▁the ▁Russian ▁amb assador . ▁She ▁added ▁that ▁F lyn n ' s ▁" under lying ▁conduct ", ▁which ▁she ▁could ▁not ▁describe ▁due ▁to ▁classification , ▁" was ▁problem atic ▁in ▁and ▁of ▁itself ," ▁saying ▁"( i ) t ▁was ▁a ▁whole ▁lot ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁White ▁House ▁official ▁lying ▁to ▁another ." ▁Form er ▁United ▁States ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Def ense ▁Robert ▁G ates ▁called ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁F lyn n ▁being ▁black ma iled ▁" kind ▁of ▁a ▁stretch ," ▁while ▁acknowled ging ▁that ▁his ▁false ▁statement ▁was ▁" a ▁problem   ... ▁that ▁I ▁would ▁tell ▁the ▁president ▁about ." ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁reported ▁that ▁F lyn n ▁was ▁under ▁investigation ▁by ▁U . S . ▁counter int elligence ▁agents ▁for ▁his ▁communic ations ▁with ▁Russian ▁officials . ▁On ▁February ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁F lyn n ▁flat ly ▁denied ▁having ▁spoken ▁to ▁K is ly ak ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁about ▁the ▁san ctions ▁placed ▁on ▁Russia ▁by ▁the ▁Ob ama ▁administration ; ▁however , ▁the ▁next ▁day