A federal judge on Tuesday admonished former national security adviser Michael Flynn for lying to federal investigators, going as far as to ask prosecutors whether he could have been charged with treason. Judge Emmet Sullivan first asked if Flynn’s conduct “rises to the level of treasonous activity?” When Brandon Van Grack, a representative for the special counsel, said prosecutors did not consider a treason charge, Sullivan repeated his question: “Could he have been charged with treason?”

The judge also reprimanded Flynn directly for his crimes. “All along, you were an unregistered agent of a foreign country while serving as the national security adviser to the president of the United States,” the judge said, according to a tweet from The Washington Post’s Spencer Hu. “That undermines everything this flag over here stands for. Arguably you sold your country out.” He added that he wasn’t hiding his “disgust” and “disdain” over the crimes. Soon after, Sullivan postponed Flynn’s sentencing until he finishes cooperating with investigators. USA Today reports that Flynn could serve up to five years in prison.