patrick.net

The Justice Department on Thursday moved to drop its case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, in a stunning development that comes after internal memos were released raising serious questions about the nature of the investigation that led to Flynn’s late 2017 guilty plea of lying to the FBI.

The announcement came in a court filing "after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case, including newly discovered and disclosed information," as the department put it. DOJ officials said they 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 was "conducted without any legitimate investigative basis."

Later Thursday afternoon, Flynn tweeted a video of his grandson reciting The Pledge of Allegiance, along with the message, "and JUSTICE for ALL."

The federal judge overseeing the case would have to make the final determination to dismiss it. ...

Meanwhile, the handwritten notes showing agents discussing his interview – which the FBI's former head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap penned after a meeting with then-FBI Director James Comey and then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe – sparked even bigger reverberations for the case.

The notes, released last week, showed agents considered various options in the run-up to the fateful January 2017 interview, including getting Flynn "to admit to breaking the Logan Act" when he spoke to former Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition period.

"What is our goal?" one of the notes read. "Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?"

Another note read, "If we get him to admit to breaking the Logan Act, give facts to DOJ + have them decide." The memo appeared to weigh the pros and cons of pursuing those different paths, while cautioning: "If we’re seen as playing games, WH [White House] will be furious."

Trump is right. There is a massive conspiracy against him.

I just hate being gas lit all the time. They’ve been rubbing the Michal Flynn conviction in our face for 3 years as the smoking gun of Russia collusion and when you point out that the conviction was bullshit you’re told that you’re a racist moron red neck Trump supporter and how dare you question the hard working men and women at the FBI.

Now even the justice department won’t defend the conviction but the libs are already off on their next coup attempt (covid), so don’t hold your breath for an apology.

But he plead guilty?

It happens.

I'm really hoping he's able to recover his losses by suing the fuck out of my govt.

noobster says

But he plead guilty?

there is an explanation in the article. he plead guilty because they threatened to go after his family. they did end up dropping the case after all the legal battles. the guy and his family got really fucked by this mess. those rich fucks running the show, really dragged him through the mud and the courts.

noobster says

But he plead guilty?

STATEMENT OF THE OFFENSE
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11, the United States of America and the
defendant, MICHAEL T. FLYNN, stipulate and agree that the following facts are true and
accurate. These facts do not constitute all of the facts known to the parties concerning the
charged offense; they are being submitted to demonstrate that sufficient facts exist that the
defendant committed the offense to which he is pleading guilty.
1. The defendant, MICHAEL T. FLYNN, who served as a surrogate and national
security advisor for the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump ("Campaign"), as a senior
member of President-Elect Trump's Transition Team ("Presidential Transition Team"), and as
the National Security Advisor to President Trump, made materially false statements and
omissions during an interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") on January 24,
2017, in Washington, D.C. At the time of the interview, the FBI had an open investigation into
the Government of Russia's ("Russia") efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election,
including the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Campaign and Russia,
and whether there was any coordination between the Campaign and Russia's efforts.
2. FL YNN's false statements and omissions impeded and otherwise had a material
impact on the FBI's ongoing investigation into the existence of any links or coordination
Case 1:17-cr-00232-RC Document 4 Filed 12/01/17 Page 1 of 6
between individuals associated with the Campaign and Russia's efforts to interfere with the 2016
presidential election.
False Statements Regarding FLYNN's Request to the Russian Ambassador that Russia
Refrain from Escalating the Situation in Response to U.S. Sanctions against Russia
3. On or about January 24, 2017, FLYNN agreed to be interviewed by agents from
the FBI ("January 24 voluntary interview"). During the interview, FLYNN falsely stated that he
did not ask Russia's Ambassador to the United States ("Russian Ambassador") to refrain from
escalating the situation in response to sanctions that the United States had imposed against
Russia. FLYNN also falsely stated that he did not remember a follow-up conversation in which
the Russian Ambassador stated that Russia had chosen to moderate its response to those
sanctions as a result of FL YNN's request. In truth and in fact, however, FLYNN then and there
knew that the following had occurred:
a. On or about December 28, 2016, then-President Barack Obama signed
Executive Order 13757, which was to take effect the following day. The
executive order announced sanctions against Russia in response to that
government's actions intended to interfere with the 2016 presidential
election ("U.S. Sanctions").
b. On or about December 28, 2016, the Russian Ambassador contacted
FLYNN.
c. On or about December 29, 2016, FLYNN called a senior official of the
Presidential Transition Team ("PTT official"), who was with other senior
·members of the Presidential Transition Team at the Mar-a-Lago resort in
Palm Beach, Florida, to discuss what, if anything, to communicate to the
Russian Ambassador about the U.S. Sanctions. On that call, FLYNN and
2
Case 1:17-cr-00232-RC Document 4 Filed 12/01/17 Page 2 of 6
the PTT official discussed the U.S. Sanctions, including the potential
impact of those sanctions on the incoming administration's foreign policy
goals. The PIT official and FLYNN also discussed that the members of
the Presidential Transition Team at Mar-a-Lago did not want Russia to
escalate the situation.
d. Immediately after his phone call with the PTT official, FLYNN called the
Russian Ambassador and requested that Russia not escalate the situation
and only respond to the U.S. Sanctions in a reciprocal manner.
e. Shortly after his phone call with the Russian Ambassador, FLYNN spoke
with the PTT official to report on the substance of his call with the
Russian Ambassador, including their discussion of the U.S. Sanctions.
f. On or about December 30, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin
released a statement indicating that Russia would not take retaliatory
measures in response to the U.S. Sanctions at that time.
g. On or about December 31, 2016, the Russian Ambassador called FLYNN
and informed him that Russia had chosen not to retaliate in response to
FL YNN's request.
h. After his phone call with the Russian Ambassador, FLYNN spoke with
senior members of the Presidential Transition Team about FL YNN's
conversations with the Russian Ambassador regarding the U.S. Sanctions
and Russia's decision not to escalate the situation.
3
Case 1:17-cr-00232-RC Document 4 Filed 12/01/17 Page 3 of 6
False Statements Regarding FLYNN's Request that Foreign Officials Vote Against or
Delay a United Nations Security Council Resolution
4. During the January 24 voluntary interview, FLYNN made additional false
statements about calls he made to Russia and several other countries regarding a resolution
submitted by Egypt to the United Nations Security Council on December 21, 2016. Specifically
FLYNN falsely stated that he only asked the countries' positions on the vote, and that he did not
request that any of the countries take any particular action on the resolution. FLYNN also
falsely stated that the Russian Ambassador never described to him Russia's response to
FL YNN's request regarding the resolution. In truth and in fact, however, FLYNN then and there
knew that the following had occurred:
a. On or about December 21, 2016, Egypt submitted a resolution to the
United Nations Security Council on the issue of Israeli settJements
("resolution"). The United Nations Security Council was scheduled to
vote on the resolution the following day.
b. On or about December 22, 2016, a very senior member of the Presidential
Transition Team directed FLYNN to contact officials from foreign
governments, including Russia, to learn where each government stood on
the resolution and to influence those governments to delay the vote or
defeat the resolution.
c. On or about December 22, 2016, FLYNN contacted the Russian
Ambassador about the pending vote. FLYNN informed the Russian
Ambassador about the incoming administration's opposition to the
resolution, and requested that Russia vote against or delay the resolution.
4
Case 1:17-cr-00232-RC Document 4 Filed 12/01/17 Page 4 of 6
d. On or about December 23, 2016, FLYNN again spoke with the Russian
Ambassador, who informed FLYNN that if it came to a vote Russia would
not vote against the resolution.
Other False Statements Regarding FLYNN's Contacts with Foreign Governments
5. On March 7, 2017, FLYNN filed multiple documents with the Department of
Justice pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act ("FARA") pertaining to a project
performed by him and his company, the Flynn Intel Group, Inc. ("FIG"), for the principal benefit
of the Republic of Turkey ("Turkey project"). In the FARA filings, FLYNN made materially
false statements and omissions, including by falsely stating that (a) FIG did not know whether or
the extent to which the Republic of Turkey was involved in the Turkey project, (b) the Turkey
project was focused on improving U.S. business organizations' confidence regarding doing
business in Turkey, and (c) an op-ed by FLYNN published in The Hill on November 8, 2016,
was written at his own initiative; and by omitting that officials from the Republic of Turkey
provided supervision and direction over the Turkey project.
https://www.justice.gov/file/1015126/download

noobster says

But he plead guilty?

He plead guilty because it was a criminal use of our Justice system. He had to take the plea to preserve the record. Had he told them to get bent, and told them he smelt a rat, and told them he was going to get a new legal team. Then no crime would have ever been committed. Deniable plausibility and all that not withstanding.

Still don't like that RT-paid cheap fuck. US generals should not under any circumstances eat from the hand of Russian government propaganda outlet. He's a fucking disgrace to his uniform, plain and simple.

Amazing how fast this has already gone completely off the news cycle. There was a Reuters mention of a single paragraph. A few notes by mainstream media. Now gone. It doesn't fit the narrative!

Also, didn't the Feds threaten to charge his family with other nonsense if he didn't plead out? Pure Government thuggery. The FBI needs a thorough cleaning at the management level. It's a culture problem.

Doesn't anyone remember Herbert Hoover?

My free NY Times "news" summary email had this to say. Truly jaw-dropping slant on things...

The Justice Department’s decision to drop criminal charges against Michael Flynn continues a pattern for the Trump administration: On multiple occasions, this White House has handled criminal matters in ways that are highly favorable to political allies. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Julie O’Sullivan, a former federal prosecutor.

Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser, had pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about his contacts with a Russian diplomat. The Justice Department said it dropped the matter because those lies were not “materially” relevant to the Russia investigation.

Doesn't anyone remember Herbert Hoover?

J. Edgar Hoover?

covid_shmovid says

He's a fucking disgrace to his uniform, plain and simple.

I think that is a bit harsh. Not a fan of Turkey or RT, but there is much worse than being a lobbyist for a NATO ally. Half of DC are getting paid by foreign actors and various Corporations to push their interests.

If Flynn is a fucking disgrace - what do you call Comey, Clapper, Brennan, McCabe, Rosenstein for railroading Flynn to try and impeach Trump?

covid_shmovid says

till don't like that RT-paid cheap fuck.

He plead guilty twice. did the FBI play nice with him ? No, do they ever? And he plead guilty to lying and was not charged with other crimes he admitted to...in writing, like failing to register as a foreign agent. He was/is a fucking 3 star gen and in army intelligence and claims he got rolled by the FBI. What a cheap ass schmuck. This is a disgrace and example of Buttlicker Barr being Trumps lapdog. Special dispensation if you be one of Trump's boys, Stone and Flynn if you are an average joe, fuck you.

rdm says

He plead guilty twice. did the FBI play nice with him ? No, do they ever? And he plead guilty to lying and was not charged with other crimes he admitted to...in writing, like failing to register as a foreign agent. He was/is a fucking 3 star gen and in army intelligence and claims he got rolled by the FBI. What a cheap ass schmuck. This is a disgrace and example of Buttlicker Barr being Trumps lapdog. Special dispensation if you be one of Trump's boys, Stone and Flynn if you are an average joe, fuck you.

You don't get it - if there was no underlying crime to investigate (we now know there wasn't), the FBI had no business interrogating Flynn in the first place.

The biggest disgrace was the abuse of our Justice system, re-writing 302's and threatening family members to go after political opponents.

https://spectator.us/flynnocent-michael-flynn-justice-served/

Flynnocent: why the general has a long way to go before justice is served

It’s being blared about the internet that now, finally, at last, the 30-year military veteran has got justice. Not yet he hasn’t

Donald Trump Liberty Politics US Politics
Flynnocent: why the general has a long way to go before justice is served
It’s being blared about the internet that now, finally, at last, the 30-year military veteran has got justice. Not yet he hasn’t

Just moments ago, the news came in that Department of, um, Justice has dropped its — ‘um’ again — Gen. Michael Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser. ‘The Government has determined,’ the Court filing read, ‘pursuant to the Principles of Federal Prosecution and based on an extensive review and careful consideration of the circumstances, that continued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice.’

You think?

It’s being blared about the internet that now, finally, at last, the 30-year military veteran has got justice.

Not yet he hasn’t.

The disgusting people running the FBI — big boy James Comey, and Peter Strzok, and former head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap, among others — pursued a vendetta against Flynn, manufacturing a bogus case against him in order, first, to destroy someone that Barack Obama and his intelligence operatives detested and, second, to pursue ‘Crossfire Hurricane’, the ‘umbrella’ investigation whose goal was to destroy Donald Trump.

They were pretty successful at the first job. They smeared Flynn, then they set him up, sending Strzok and another agent to have a friendly chat with him at the White House which they weaponized into a bogus ‘you lied to the FBI’ charge. They got him fired from his position as NSA, bankrupted him through ‘the-process-is-the-punishment’ legal feels, and forced him to plead guilty to a felony by threatening his son with another bogus charge.

The FBI has been forever disgraced. They cannot be trusted. They abuse their power for political reasons.

What has or government come to when politically motivated, Selective Justice has not prevailed?

socal2 says

You don't get it - if there was no underlying crime to investigate (we now know there wasn't), the FBI had no business interrogating Flynn in the first place

The crime and investigation was Russian Interference in the 2016 election; Trump or no Trump involvement. There was a on going intelligence investigation he was a part of it, he lied to Pence and the FBI and the Russians knew he lied to Pence, they had to interview him. How can you investigate if people lie? That is the basis of the statute. But why the fuck did he lie to Pence and the FBI in the first place, that is the unanswered question. He is either an imbecile (not hardly) or covering for something'someone as what he personally did, talking to the Russian Ambassador was never going to be prosecuted.

Not relevant to this but he for sure he committed a crime by not registering as a foreign agent.

Patrick says

The FBI has been forever disgraced. They cannot be trusted. They abuse their power for political reasons.

I think Comey and the FBI were taking orders from Obama via drama queen Sally Yates.

It was purely political as Obama was using pretext to go after anyone who could damage the work done by his neoMarxist and globalist agenda.

That meant he wanted to go after Flynn, for starters, since Flynn was a vocal critical from his administration of the Iran deal.

That meant Obama thought that an investigation could discredit Trump and therefore politically weaken Trump such as stop Trump from securing the border and from stopping the Iran deal.

rdm says

But why the fuck did he lie to Pence and the FBI in the first place, that is the unanswered question.

I would like that clarified too. I expect Flynn to clear this up now that he will be free to do interviews.

It is my understanding that the FBI officials already had all of the transcripts of Flynn's calls with the Russians and the calls were perfectly fine pushing pro-American policy telling the Russians to cool it and not escalate with the recent sanctions the Obama Admin imposed. So there is nothing in the calls themselves that was bad and worth lying about.

This FBI meeting was not billed as an interrogation - just a friendly get to know you meeting with Flynn as was transitioning to his new job.

Was the lie something as small as Flynn thinking he didn't have to tell these FBI guys about every call he has ever made and then they pressed him with the transcripts with Russian what's-his-nuts and he panicked and dug in his heals?

socal2 says

he panicked and dug in his heals?

Sheesh, one would expect a general to have some balls. If he panicks in front of couple FBI fucks, what would he do under enemy fire, shit himself?

socal2 says

I think that is a bit harsh. Not a fan of Turkey or RT, but there is much worse than being a lobbyist for a NATO ally.

Ally-shmally, RT is fucking propaganda arm of a fucking enemy. Nothing to do with Turkey, everything to do with Russia.

covid_shmovid says

socal2 says

he panicked and dug in his heals?

Sheesh, one would expect a general to have some balls. If he panicks in front of couple FBI fucks, what would he do under enemy fire, shit himself?

Neither He nor Martha Stewart panicked. FBI drones are skilled in interrogation and getting people to say things. sS soon as you begin speaking, you're at risk. You only EVER speak THROUGH a lawyer. Never directly to anyone in the government. The only asnwer is "I decline to be interviewed." Then Lawyer up.

rocketjoe79 says

covid_shmovid says

socal2 says

he panicked and dug in his heals?

Sheesh, one would expect a general to have some balls. If he panicks in front of couple FBI fucks, what would he do under enemy fire, shit himself?

Neither He nor Martha Stewart panicked. FBI drones are skilled in interrogation and getting people to say things. sS soon as you begin speaking, you're at risk. You only EVER speak THROUGH a lawyer. Never directly to anyone in the government. The only asnwer is "I decline to be interviewed." Then Lawyer up.

So he didn't even have a lawyer with him? No brains in addition to no balls. Jeeezus-effin-Christ, some generals we have.

Flynn was running an op, a sting. Admiral Rodgers took the insurance policy plans to trump n all the way back in Nov 2016.

rdm says

The crime and investigation was Russian Interference in the 2016 election; Trump or no Trump involvement.

It was Hillary.

Da Fuq?

HEYYOU says

Flynn plead guilty. He's guilty or a stupid RepCon.
Lock him up! The judge needs to throw a maximum sentence at him.Let him appeal.

Get an attorney & keep your mouth shut. Yep! He's a stupid RepCon.

That is why whenever a police officer or federal law enforcement wants to speak with you, ask if you are being detained and if you are the subject of an investigation.

They have to answer those questions.

If you are not being detained, then you are free to go.

I wonder what did FBI agent Strzok tell Flynn when he "interviewed" him. What did Strzok state was the reason for wanting to talk with Flynn ?

They presented it as a routine getting to know you type situation.

We have the FBI deliberately trying to entrap someone for political puposes.

Not good.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/07/michael-flynn-case-collapse-latest-sign-russiagate-was-a-complete-fraud/

Yet both Strzok and the other agent in the interview left agreeing that Flynn hadn’t attempted any deception at all. It was months later that prosecutors working under Mueller decided that he had lied — and proceeded to nearly bankrupt Flynn with legal fees, then threaten to prosecute his son, before the general finally agreed to plead guilty.

And this is hardly the only recent eye-opener: Soon-to-be-released transcripts of 2017-18 House Intelligence Committee interviews reportedly show that the FBI’s Russia investigation had come up empty all across the board before President Trump even took office.

Ironically, current Intel Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has apparently been pushing to prevent the release — perhaps because he for years has claimed he saw “direct evidence” of Trump-Russia collusion that neither the FBI nor even Mueller’s endless probe ever found.

It seems that none of the 53 witnesses interviewed by the committee — including Obama officials Jim Clapper, Loretta Lynch, Sam Power, Susan Rice, Sally Yates and Andrew McCabe — said they’d seen any evidence of collusion.

So he didn't even have a lawyer with him? No brains in addition to no balls. Jeeezus-effin-Christ, some generals we have.

No, this was a betrayal of trust. Flynn did not expect to be set up by members of his own government. He did not have a lawyer because he did not do anything remotely criminal, and thought the conversation was about setting up a new administration. What happened to Flynn is like a Quarterback being tackled by his own offence because his team members want to maintain a point spread.

Do you also see that by claiming Flynn being "naive" by not having a lawyer, you are saying his real problem is not understanding just how corrupt the holdover Obama FBI really is?

Patrick says

It seems that none of the 53 witnesses interviewed by the committee — including Obama officials Jim Clapper, Loretta Lynch, Sam Power, Susan Rice, Sally Yates and Andrew McCabe — said they’d seen any evidence of collusion.

Read this sentence itr is meaningless...it seems.

It looks pretty damn clear.

Flynn was set up. He did nothing wrong, but was targeted by corrupt FBI agents simply for being on Trump's side.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/flynn-and-the-anatomy-of-a-political-narrative/

Obama officials and FBI collaborated to invent the ‘Russian collusion’ narrative

The FBI coordinated very closely with the Obama White House on the investigation of Michael Flynn, while the Obama Justice Department was asleep at the switch. That is among the most revealing takeaways from Thursday’s decision by Attorney General Bill Barr to pull the plug on the prosecution of Flynn, who fleetingly served as President Trump’s first National Security Advisor. Flynn had been seeking to withdraw his guilty plea to a false-statements charge brought in late 2017 by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/495366-something-seems-rotten-in-flynns-case-and-maybe-others-too

Powell and other champions of Flynn’s cause have long claimed he did not lie to investigators -- a claim supported by the interviewing FBI agents, who concluded that Flynn had not made intentional misstatements, just failures of recollection, which are common. Instead, they maintain that Flynn was coerced into pleading guilty nearly a year later by special counsel Robert Mueller’s team of hyper-aggressive prosecutors. Prosecutors did this, Powell argues, by threatening that if he refused to plead, they would prosecute his son. The son, also named Michael Flynn, worked in Gen. Flynn’s private intelligence firm, which Team Mueller was scrutinizing over its alleged failure to register with the government as a foreign agent — a dubious allegation that was rarely handled as a criminal offense before Mueller’s probe.

After DOJ’s revelations last Friday, Powell filed a submission with the court, asserting that the new disclosures demonstrate that Mueller’s prosecutors not only pressured Flynn with the possibility of indicting his son; they also secretly assured Flynn’s former counsel, the well-connected Washington firm of Covington & Burling (C&B), that Flynn’s son would not be prosecuted if Flynn pleaded guilty. This “side deal” (a) was not explicitly memorialized in the formal plea agreement, (b) was not otherwise disclosed to the court as federal law requires, and (c) was designed to enable prosecutors to evade their due process obligations in future cases. ...

Needless to say, Flynn’s plea agreement makes no mention of any commitment by prosecutors to refrain from charging Flynn’s son with a crime, notwithstanding how central that commitment appears to have been to the plea bargain.

Not only does this appear to be a willful misrepresentation to the sentencing judge; it laid the groundwork for deceiving future juries and judges. Mueller’s prosecutors gave Flynn a cooperation agreement because they anticipated calling him to testify in other cases. He would be expected to testify that his written plea agreement stated the totality of his understandings with prosecutors. By doing so, he would mislead juries and judges about what promises (or threats) prosecutors made to induce him to plead guilty and cooperate; jurors would not learn that Mueller’s prosecutors had exploited Flynn’s love for his son to squeeze him into a guilty plea.

So Flynn was forced to plead guilty to protect his own son from the same "process as punishment" that Flynn was forced to endure, and then was not even allowed to explain this deal to the judge.