Sen. Ted Cruz said Friday that Michael Flynn's guilty plea in the Russia investigation was "disappointing and disturbing" and that no final judgment should be reached on President Donald Trump's former national security adviser until "we see all the facts and all the evidence."
"General Flynn has many decades of honorable service defending this nation," Cruz, a Texas Republican, told Dana Perino on Fox News. "It is sad to see he is now pleading guilty to criminal conduct.
"That gives us all a reason to pause."
Flynn, 58, a retired Army lieutenant general, pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts — becoming the first Trump White House official to face criminal charges and admit guilt so far in the probe headed by special counsel Robert Mueller.
President Trump fired Flynn in February amid concerns about his disclosures on his Moscow dealings to Vice President Mike Pence. He had been national security adviser for less than a month.
Flynn also agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation, which centers on the Kremlin's meddling in last year's presidential election.
He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Flynn also served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Cruz told Perino that "all of us wants to see what the underlying conduct was and what else may be implicated" after Flynn's guilty plea.
"There are multiple investigations that are ongoing," the senator said. "There are investigations in the Senate, the House, the special counsel.
"We should wait until we see all the facts and all the evidence before coming to a final judgment."