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May 07, 2020 01:18 PM UTC

Justice Department Will Drop Case Against Michael Flynn

  • 9 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE #2: You really can’t argue with this:

—–

UPDATE: Via The New York Times:

In a possible sign of disagreement, Brandon L. Van Grack, the Justice Department lawyer who led the prosecution of Mr. Flynn, abruptly withdrew from the case on Thursday. Mr. Flynn’s lawyers have repeatedly attacked Mr. Van Grack by name in court filings, citing his “incredible malfeasance.” Prosecutors in [U.S. Attorney Timothy] Shea’s office were stunned by the decision to drop the case, according to a person who spoke to several lawyers in the office. [Pols emphasis]

Responding to the news, Mr. Trump told reporters that Mr. Flynn was “an innocent man,” and said he now views him as an “even greater warrior.” Sidney Powell, Mr. Flynn’s lawyer, did not respond to a request for comment.

—–

Michael Flynn, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015

There’s some very troubling news breaking this afternoon, as The Washington Post reports:

The Justice Department moved Thursday to drop charges against former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts during the presidential transition.

The unraveling of Flynn’s guilty plea marked a stunning reversal by the Justice Department in the case of the former three-star Army general, who was convicted in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In court documents filed Thursday, the Justice Department said “after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case, including newly discovered and disclosed information … the government has concluded that [Flynn’s interview by the FBI] was untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn” and that the interview on Jan. 24, 2017 was “conducted without any legitimate investigative basis.” [Pols emphasis]

And here’s the understatement of the week month year:

The retreat from prosecutors could be a political windfall for President Trump, who last month announced on Twitter that he was “strongly considering a Full Pardon” for Flynn.

It also will likely intensify concerns within and outside the Justice Department that Barr and its politically appointed leadership is intervening in sensitive cases to help the president’s friends and political allies. [Pols emphasis]

Michael Flynn served very briefly (for only 24 days, in fact) as President Trump’s first National Security Adviser before he was fired in February 2017 because of allegations — WHICH FLYNN FULLY ADMITTED — that he had been having secret conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that involved Russian efforts to weaken U.S. sanctions implemented during President Obama’s administration. Flynn later testified that his Russian discussions had been ordered by a top Trump administration official (whose name may or may not rhyme with Fared Mushner).

President Trump and his supporters have long claimed the existence of a shadowy “Deep State” that operates with the goal of thwarting Trump at every step. Perhaps this conspiracy theory was always half right.

Comments

9 thoughts on “Justice Department Will Drop Case Against Michael Flynn

  1. The federal judge Emmet Sullivan will most likely tell Billy Barr and trump to go pound sand. Flynn isn't off the hook just yet.

    The only thing Barr has done is to make the DOJ a political arm of the tangerine twatwaffle. 

  2. “Arguably, you sold your country out,” Sullivan told Flynn. He then asked the government whether undermining U.S. sanctions against Russia for their interference in the 2016 election could be considered treason.

    12/18/2018

  3. The story here is all about the politicization of the Justice Department. Barr is making it clear that it is now the tool of Donald Trump. It works for and in the best interests of Donald Trump. Not the United States, not the Executive branch, and certainly not the people. Trump was absolutely going to pardon Flynn, just like he pardoned Scooter Libby, and Sheriff Racist. The sole purpose here was to send a message to the rank and file of the department – get on the Trump train or get out. 

  4. Let's see …. the plea bargain was that Justice Department would not go after the UNDERLYING violations of the law in other possible counts IF Gen. Flynn pled guilty to a charge of lying to a federal investigator. 

    Other investigations included:

     * under federal investigation for secret lobbying work he had done for Turkey. His partner was charged with illegally acting as an unregistered agent of Turkey

     * a whole lot more than one White House official lying to another (about the conversations with the Russian ambassador). .

     * whether Flynn accepted money from foreign governments without the required approval. [needed for ALL generals and equivalent ranks]

     * allegedly planning a kidnapping and extrajudicial rendition of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen to Turkey.

     * he may have been involved with someone being investigated for Iranian sanctions violations and money laundering charges

     * and there were allegations of illegal activities by his son which were taken into account as part of the overall plea bargain.

     

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