President Donald Trump asked for the resignation of his national security adviser because he had lied to the vice president and not because he had discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., the White House spokesman said Tuesday.

    National Security Adviser Gen. Mike Flynn was forced by Trump to resign on Monday after media reports surfaced of a conversation between Flynn and the Russian ambassador that involved talk about the new U.S. administration lifting sanctions imposed on Moscow for its alleged interference in the U.S. election.

    White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that after a review by the Justice Department and Trump's legal counsel it was concluded that Flynn had broken no laws in discussing the sanctions with the ambassador. The conversation took place after the election but before Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20. But Spicer said that Flynn had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about whether the sanctions had come up in the conversation and for that reason he had to go. 

    Democrats in Congress do not appear satisfied with that reasoning, however, and want to hold hearings into Flynn's dealings with Russia.

Source: QNA