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This is going to be a thread about uncomfortable details on Mike Flynn's case.
First, Flynn made multiple contradictory SWORN statements in court and the grand jury.
"In truth, I never lied;" Mike Flynn's Materially Conflicting Sworn Statements https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/05/23/in-truth-i-never-lied-mike-flynns-materially-conflicting-sworn-statements/
First, Flynn made multiple contradictory SWORN statements in court and the grand jury.
"In truth, I never lied;" Mike Flynn's Materially Conflicting Sworn Statements https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/05/23/in-truth-i-never-lied-mike-flynns-materially-conflicting-sworn-statements/
That's why Sullivan considered--and may still be considered--criminal contempt for Flynn for perjury. That crime, too, would need to be pardoned if Trump wanted to keep Flynn out of prison
Bill Barnett, who made all sorts of claims abt the Mueller investigation, also said he SINGLE-HANDEDLY prevented the team from concluding that Flynn and KT McFarland were lying to protect Trump. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/09/27/in-his-302-william-barnett-admitted-to-saving-trump-by-ignoring-at-least-four-pieces-of-evidence-implicating-him/
But AT THE SAME TIME, Barnett (who sent pro-Trump texts on his FBI phone) claimed to be ignorant of four key pieces of evidence. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/09/27/in-his-302-william-barnett-admitted-to-saving-trump-by-ignoring-at-least-four-pieces-of-evidence-implicating-him/
DOJ and/or FBI altered several key pieces of evidence to support a false smear of Joe Biden. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/09/29/doj-altered-an-exhibit-in-the-mike-flynn-case-to-support-a-false-smear-of-joe-biden/
They ultimately ADMITTED they had added false dates to exhibits, but claimed it was inadvertent. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/07/doj-admits-jeffrey-jensens-team-added-erroneous-date-to-peter-strzoks-notes-asks-for-mulligan/
It is impossible that all the changes were inadvertent, though, bc someone redacted out footnotes from these same documents. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/27/the-altered-mccabe-and-strzok-documents-were-packaged-for-circulation/
DOJ also hid material information about Brandon Van Grack in its redactions of the aforementioned Bill Barnett interview report. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/01/doj-hid-material-comments-on-brandon-van-grack-from-judge-sullivan-in-the-william-barnett-302/
It turns out there were a bunch of other irregularities with the evidence DOJ used to attempt to blow up the Flynn prosecution. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/27/shorter-doj-we-made-shit-up-please-free-mike-flynn/
In their filing admitting those irregularities, DOJ also LIED about whether Strzok and McCabe's lawyers had said their notes weren't otherwise altered. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/27/doj-falsely-claimed-that-andrew-mccabe-confirmed-the-content-of-mccabes-notes-were-not-altered/
Meanwhile, Sidney Powell keeps submitting evidence that hurts her case, such as evidence showing WHY Flynn's lies were material (bc he was hiding his coordination with Mar-a-Lago). https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/07/sidney-powell-submits-evidence-proving-materiality-of-flynns-lies/
AFTER THE ELECTION, new information was made public that makes it clear that when Flynn was secretly undermining official policy w/Russia, he was with Trump--who could well have been on the phone. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/11/19/donald-trump-was-personally-involved-in-flynns-collusion-with-russia-to-protect-israel/
We also learned that contrary to Obama spying on Flynn, the opposite happened. McFarland sent Tom Bossert to learn inside info from Obama abt sanctions before Flynn reached out to Russia to undermine the sanctions. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/11/21/normal-transitions-kt-mcfarland-sent-tom-bossert-to-spy-on-lisa-monaco/
Meanwhile, Ric Grenell and Sidney Powell have succeeded in making evidence available that hadn't been before--it makes the case for "collusion" far easier to prove. https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/11/23/how-ric-grenell-and-sidney-powell-have-made-it-easier-to-prosecute-donald-trump-for-conspiring-with-russia/
That is, it's obvious at this point that the reason Flynn lied -- and he and KT McFarland were lying even to their Trump colleagues from early on -- was to hide Trump's direct involvement in repaying favors from the election.
There's zero doubt Flynn lied, bc he lied to Bossert
There's zero doubt Flynn lied, bc he lied to Bossert
If you want to accuse Judge Sullivan of misconduct, you first would need to go through this evidence and explain it away -- and explain why others at DOJ or FBI aren't at risk of charges themselves.
All this is why it will be very complex (tho I expect Cipollone and Barr might pull it off) to pardon Mike Flynn. He committed too many crimes.
Trump Prepares to Pardon an Undisclosed Agent of Turkey as Well as a Thanksgiving Bird https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/11/25/trump-prepares-to-pardon-an-undisclosed-agent-of-turkey-as-well-as-a-thanksgiving-bird/
Trump Prepares to Pardon an Undisclosed Agent of Turkey as Well as a Thanksgiving Bird https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/11/25/trump-prepares-to-pardon-an-undisclosed-agent-of-turkey-as-well-as-a-thanksgiving-bird/
