USA v Michael T. Flynn; USDC for DC; False Statements to FBI; Guilty Plea

[Orlylicious]

Trumpers are SO EXCITED, Flynn tweeted his Declaration (1st tweet supposedly since 2017).





Here's the filing:

[bob]

Ugh. Flynn's declaration, in which he blames his lawyers for their "bad" advice and peddles a I'm-just-a-soldier routine, is probably good enough to earn him a live hearing.

In which he'll be mercilessly cross-examined. And his former attorneys will (as the kids say) bring the receipts.

I predict this not ending well for Flynn.

[Sterngard Friegen]

If he is cross-examined he will undoubtedly be required to talk Turkey.

[Slim Cognito]

I see what you did there.

[SLQ]

Ugh. Flynn's declaration, in which he blames his lawyers for their "bad" advice and peddles a I'm-just-a-soldier routine, is probably good enough to earn him a live hearing.

In which he'll be mercilessly cross-examined. And his former attorneys will (as the kids say) bring the receipts.

I predict this not ending well for Flynn.

The declaration was signed and dated in January and filed with the court on 1/29/2020 per the filing stamp at the top of the page. I believe he submitted this to the court but was already turned down. He's just now sharing it with his followers, for a reason I can't fathom. Perhaps an audience of 1.

[bob]

The declaration was signed and dated in January and filed with the court on 1/29/2020 per the filing stamp at the top of the page. I believe he submitted this to the court but was already turned down. He's just now sharing it with his followers, for a reason I can't fathom. Perhaps an audience of 1.

Politico: Prosecutors mull statements from Flynn’s ex-lawyers:

Flynn's new legal team also sees first evidence from Barr-ordered review

Federal prosecutors are studying more than 100 pages of new written declarations from former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s ex-lawyers as the Justice Department decides how to respond to Flynn’s bid to unwind his guilty plea on the grounds that his old legal team failed to give him proper advice.

In a court filing Friday, prosecutors asked a judge for at least two more weeks to review the formal statements from four of Flynn’s former lawyers at firm Covington & Burling. The declarations arrived Thursday accompanied by over 500 pages of exhibits, prosecutors said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine said prosecutors may still decide they need to conduct direct questioning of Flynn’s former lawyers about his attempt to withdraw his guilty plea.

* * *

So far, the Justice Department has defended the case against Flynn and has successfully opposed Flynn’s motions for wide-ranging access to records about the origins of the probe into the Trump campaign and Russia, as well as a variety of other matters.

However, in January, Barr assigned the U.S. attorney in St. Louis, Jeff Jensen, to review the handling of the Flynn case by prosecutors and the FBI.

* * *

On Friday, prosecutors also sent Flynn’s lawyers some FBI material Jensen has pulled into his review. The handoff, which was made public in a separate court filing, seems like a victory for the Flynn defense team’s sustained drive to get broader access to records related to the investigation.

The actual records were not made public, but Flynn’s defense lawyers were also told Friday that they might receive more information as Jensen’s review progresses.

Powell did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story, but in a court filing she called "stunning" the evidence just handed over by the Justice Department. In a tweet earlier Friday, she welcomed the new documents emerging from Jensen's review.

* * *

The lead prosecutor of Flynn for Mueller’s office, Brandon van Grack, is now a senior Justice Department official overseeing foreign influence matters and he remains assigned to the case. However, his name has not appeared on recent pleadings about Flynn’s claims faulting his previous counsel. Van Grack could be a witness on that issue because of his dealings with those lawyers when Flynn’s plea was being negotiated.

So Flynn filed this in January, his former lawyers responded, and the government is requesting more time to respond.

In the meantime, Barr's handpicked USA is now giving Flynn documents originally withheld by the prosecutors. And Flynn (and his attorney) are going on a PR blitz.

[pipistrelle]

Trending on Twitter: #FlynnExonerated.

Edwin Herdman
@EdHerdman
·
18m
#FlynnExonerated? More like FOREVER DISGRACED FLYNN worked against America's interests.

[pipistrelle]

EB
@pompandpants
·
5m
Like clockwork! Everyday!

I wake up around the same time as parts of Russia and watch as their bots do their magic and game the trends. Then, as the day goes by, these trends get picked up by naive people around the world. Every damn day! Today's topic: #FlynnExonerated

[Suranis]

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1258463906047164421

The Associated Press (@AP)
BREAKING: Justice Department is dropping criminal case against ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn, according to court filing obtained by AP. The prosecution has been a rallying cry for the president in attacking FBI Russia investigation. https://t.co/sllejeG2Gh

Lead Prosecutor has resigned in protest.

[bob]

The U.S. attorney reviewing the Flynn case, Jeff Jensen, recommended the move to Attorney General William Barr last week and formalized the recommendation in a document this week.

“Through the course of my review of General Flynn’s case, I concluded the proper and just course was to dismiss the case,” Jensen said in a statement. “I briefed Attorney General Barr on my findings, advised him on these conclusions, and he agreed.”

So the impeached president's yes man's yes man gave the impeach president what he wanted. Shocking.

[Volkonski]

ABC News
@ABC
·
3m
BREAKING: Justice Department moves to dismiss case against Pres. Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, according to a court filing.

https://t.co/G9qtkNNItN?amp=1

[Maybenaut]

Jeez-O-Pete.

[Sterngard Friegen]

The district court judge has to agree.

I don't think he will.

[Volkonski]

Charlie Gile
@CharlieGileNBC
·
6m
Michael Flynn confessed to the charges that the DOJ is now dropping.
Quote Tweet

Tom Winter
@Tom_Winter
· 15m
BREAKING / NBC News: The Department of Justice has told the court they are dropping the case against former Trump national security adviser Ret. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, court filings show.

They write that Flynn's false statements that were not “material” to the investigation.

[Volkonski]

DOJ totally corrupt.

[TexasFilly]

The district court judge has to agree.

I don't think he will.

This.

[bob]

The district court judge has to agree.

I don't think he will.

This.

And recall, dear readers, when Judge Sullivan didn't buy Flynn's "I'm cooperating" routine.

[TexasFilly]

Yeah, not only did Sullivan think Flynn betrayed his country but Sullivan's also been privy to all of the evidence. We'll see what happens.

[June bug]

I really hope Stern, Filly and bob are right.

Even so, Flynn either gets off or gets pardoned and will probably get his old or another job back. Plus, too, Roger Stone will get pardoned when his appeal fails, if not before.

I am so disheartened.

[AndyinPA]

We are officially a banana republic.

[Frater I*I]

We are officially a banana republic.

We've been that for 3 years +

[RTH10260]

same by the NYT

Justice Dept. Drops Case Against Michael Flynn
The extraordinary move came after the former national security adviser had fought the case in court for months, a reversal after pleading guilty twice and cooperating with investigators.

By Adam Goldman and Katie Benner
May 7, 2020
Updated 4:17 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department dropped its criminal case on Thursday against Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser, who had previously pleaded guilty to lying to F.B.I. agents about his conversations with a Russian diplomat.

The extraordinary move comes amid a sustained attack by Mr. Flynn’s lawyers on prosecutors and the F.B.I., accusing them of egregious conduct. In recent days, Mr. Flynn’s lawyers said the Justice Department had uncovered new documents that pointed to misconduct, particularly in investigators’ interview of Mr. Flynn in January 2017 as part of its inquiry into whether Trump advisers conspired with Russia’s election interference.

Law enforcement officials cited that interview in moving to drop the charges, saying in a court filing that the some of newfound documents showed that the questioning “was untethered to, and unjustified by, the F.B.I.’s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn.” Prosecutors said that the case did not meet the legal standard that Mr. Flynn’s lies be “materially” relevant to the matter under investigation.

“The government is not persuaded that the Jan. 24, 2017, interview was conducted with a legitimate investigative basis and therefore does not believe Mr. Flynn’s statements were material even if untrue,” the United States attorney in Washington, Timothy L. Shea, said in a motion to dismiss the charges.

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 Mr. Shea’s office were stunned by the decision to drop the case, according to a person who spoke to several lawyers in the office.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/us/p ... opped.html

[SLQ]

See? No need to pardon Flynn. Barr wil fix it. (Unless, as those above indicate, the judge doesn't approve it. If so, we're back in "appoint a special prosecutor to prosecute the case" territory, like the Arpaio case??)

[AndyinPA]

Since his days with Bush 1, Barr has been a fixer.

[Kendra]

Kampala Harris was just on Deadline Whitehouse talking about this. Damn, she is fired up