Rep. Adam Kinzinger Adam Daniel KinzingerFox News reporter defends confirming Atlantic piece despite Trump backlash: 'I feel very confident' GOP lawmaker defends Fox reporter after Trump calls for her firing Lindsey Graham: 'QAnon is bats--- crazy' MORE (R-Ill.) said Wednesday that President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, should not be given a pass in court because of his military and government service.

"I get that he’s done great things for his country, there’s lots of people who have done great things for their country," Kinzinger said on CNN's "New Day."

ADVERTISEMENT

"But that doesn’t take away the fact that you still have to continue to represent the best interests of your country unless you’re going to go be a lobbyist for a foreign government," Kinzinger added, noting that doing so can be done legally.

The lawmaker added that it's fair to have a discussion over how the FBI handled its interview with Flynn, but that shouldn't cloud the broader issues with the retired lieutenant general's actions.

"So I respect General Flynn’s service in the past, but that doesn’t exonerate him from any times when he turned against his country or did something not in the interest of the U.S. government," said Kinzinger, a former Air Force major.

“I respect General Flynn’s service in the past, but that doesn’t exonerate him from many times when he turned against his country,” @RepKinzinger says after Michael Flynn’s sentencing hearing was delayed. https://t.co/hdZuCnUXsv pic.twitter.com/zmFXbby9Z5 — New Day (@NewDay) December 19, 2018

Flynn, who pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI as part of a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE, on Tuesday appeared in court where he requested a federal judge postpone his sentencing until his cooperation with federal prosecutors is complete.

During the hearing, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan scolded Flynn for committing a “very serious offense” and told the former Trump adviser he “sold [his] country out."

Flynn and his attorneys acknowledged they did not believe the Flynn was entrapped when he lied to FBI agents, quashing a popular theory among conservatives that had been shared by Trump in recent days.

Two Flynn associates were charged earlier this week over illegal lobbying for Turkey.