New documents in the Michael Flynn case cemented that a small cadre of high-level FBI agents set a perjury trap for President Trump’s then-national security advisor.
By Margot Cleveland/ The Federalist:
The unsealing last week of a series of documents in the Michael Flynn criminal case cemented the reality that a small cadre of high-level FBI agents set a perjury trap for President Trump’s then-national security advisor. Beyond exposing the depth of this despicable personal and political hit job on a 30-year military veteran, the newly discovered documents hold great legal significance. Here’s your legal primer.
The Russiagate special counsel’s office charged Flynn with violating 18 U. S. C. § 1001, which makes it a federal crime to “knowingly and willfully” make a false statement of “a material fact” to a federal official. Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team claimed Flynn violated Section 1001 by lying to FBI agents Joe Pientka and Peter Strzok—the latter of whom has since been fired—when the duo questioned Flynn on January 24, 2017, about Flynn’s December 2016 telephone conversations with the Russian ambassador.
Flynn pleaded guilty to the Section 1001 charge in December 2017, but after the special counsel’s office disbanded, Flynn fired his prior attorneys and hired Sidney Powell. He later moved to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing his prior Covington and Burling lawyers had provided ineffective counsel. More significantly, Flynn maintained that he is innocent of the charge and had only pleaded guilty because Mueller’s prosecutors threatened to go after his son if he refused.
New Lawyer Discovers a Rat’s Nest
Since Powell took the reins of Flynn’s legal defense nearly a year ago, she has been busy reviewing the voluminous file Flynn’s former lawyers kept. In a court filing a little more than a week ago, Powell revealed she had discovered strong evidence supporting Flynn’s claim that federal prosecutors had threatened to target his son.
“We have a lawyers’ unofficial understanding that they are unlikely to charge Junior in light of the Cooperation Agreement,” one email read, referring to Flynn’s son, also named Michael Flynn. A second email proved even more damning, as Flynn’s lawyer suggested prosecutors were attempting to keep the Michael Flynn Jr. part of the deal secret to avoid having to reveal it to other defendants against whom Flynn senior might testify. (Disclosing such impeachment testimony is constitutionally mandated by the Giglio decision.)
“The government took pains not to give a promise to [defendant Flynn] regarding Michael Jr., so as to limit how much of a ‘benefit’ it would have to disclose as part of its Giglio disclosures to any defendant against whom MTF may one day testify,” Flynn’s attorney wrote in the email Powell attached to a supplemental filing in Flynn’s case.
This evidence confirms Flynn’s claim that he was coerced into the plea agreement. (It also provides an independent basis for a plea withdrawal, although outright dismissal is a more appropriate remedy to respond to the outrageous prosecutorial misconduct.) That coercion explains why Flynn would have pleaded guilty to lying when he did not knowingly misrepresent his conversation with the Russian ambassador to the FBI agents.
I am the Waxman
I am the Waxman
I am the walrus
Goo goo g’joob
If heads don’t roll over these treasonous acts then our country is lost.
AND THE WORST, MOST INCOMPETENT POTUS AND FLOTUS EVER SCAMPER OFF INTO THE WORLD OF THE VERY ELITE ROYALTY, TO MAKE THEIR HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, WHILE THOSE IN THE WAKE OF THIS TRAVESTY SEARCH FOR THE MEANS TO SURVIVE….
HEY LONG-LEGGED MACK DADDY, THIS LIFE IS SHORT, AND THE PENALTY AT THE END IS SEVERE!!!
FOR THE REST OF US, DON’T PIN YOUR HOPES ON JUSTICE HERE..THE ENTIRE SYSTEM HAS FCUKED US OVER!!!
They might want to back ofF on the isolation crap right now. They are about one spark away from a revolution.
And still the deep state perps walk.
How many months, ok, years have I been hearing that accountability was imminent?
I am worn out and the bags of ticker tape I’ve been compiling is now gray and moldy.
Sorry for my defeatist attitude.
But.
Really?
Forgive me if my don’t give a shit shows.
I am more focused on neo nazi blue state governors and mayors destroying us to further their political agenda. This is serious shit. We’re nearing a shooting war once jack booted thugs put the heels on the throats of hairdressers and restauranteurs and small business.
It’s gonna get ugly. Quickly.
I mean a week or two. Max.
OT: Does anyone know how many sick days Ruth Ginsberg has left?
I want so badly to believe that truth and justice will prevail, but….
I hate progressive, statist, totalitarian libtards in all branches of the government – especially the “fourth” branch.
Don’t plan on the AG doing anything to earn his pay anytime this term.
GOYFA! Get off your FA-Toss!
It was not a war of our choosing. Communist leftists pushed us into a corner. They chose war.
i think this is all mja’s fault for posting the obama nostril pic
i’m gonna have another beer and say fuck it for tuesday
it’s bc he compared a certain religion to cancer thus pissing off Brennan, ValJar, O, etc.
@PHenry – let me breathe, and count to ten…
I get you, I GET YOU!!
Now that said, how long did the Revolution take to fester? Just enough for what, a third of the population at the time to actually be supportive of??
We have more than that now then at our ‘past times’ PHenry. We have at least fifty percent now and that is much better.
YOU said it best:
“Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss of liberty?”
https://twitter.com/GenFlynn
You say two week huh?? Hmmm.
Gen. Glover
MAGA2016
KAG2020
FlynnFlag2024
Where the fuck is Barr-Sessions?
This guy is turning out to be the second coming of boehner!
@anon – or whoever you are. I hate having to talk to the idea of an anon, but when it comes to Gen Flynn, you have not been paying attention there anon.
Are you comparing Barr to Sessions? Ha! And John Bonerhead?? But really now? You have to be joking or smoking or drinking?? AND for the record I am fine with all those.
What? Is the AG supposed to be doing EVERY fucking thing, case and all in the country, to make you happy? Barr not talking about this everyday making you frustrated???
To HELL with the naysayers, we don’t need you. WE are in a fight for an existential American existence.
Oh, and because YOU are an anon I can say what the fuck I want to you, without ‘repercussion’, from an ‘anon’ myself!!!
Go ahead ANNNNNNON Coward and get a ‘personality’ already.
What ethics do anons have?? There is certainly no clarity with anons.
anons as NPC’s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-player_character
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=NPC
Things are getting done and accomplished, just because YOU don’t here about it, does not mean ‘it doesn’t happen’.