The Michael Flynn case continues to be a source of unusual and remarkable developments.
In the days since the Justice Department asked Flynn’s judge to drop the case — an extremely controversial move that signaled that the department had succumbed to President Trump’s pressure to lay off his allies — mystery has surrounded what the judge will do in response.
What we know is that Flynn lied and plead guilty to lying about his meetings and paid work for foreign governments and the Trump administration has decided that the real crime in this case was the Government catching Flynn lying.
I am hoping that the faith I have in judge Emmet Sullivan is well placed, and he will hold Barr’s DOJ responsible for acting irresponsibly.
Judge Sullivan is probably kicking himself for not sentencing Flynn when he had the chance.
Now he has to get others to help him out.
Maybe we should ask why Sullivan did that? Why did he give Flynn so much time after a guilty plea? I imagine Flynn walks. Sullivan will come up with some version of the “my hands were tied” excuse and it’s over.
I don’t know what’ll happen to Flynn–certainly nothing like what he deserves–but I also predict that this is going to be a rolling shit-show (a “shitball”?) which is going to bring Barr more and more under the heat lamps.
And you know what happens when shit gets exposed to heat.
Golly, whose brief would have more credibility and knowledge of - oh, I dunno - the law: Flynn’s lawyers or a group of former Watergate prosecutors?
I just do not get Barr’s rationale here: the FBI was investigation Russian interference in the US 2016 election; so then Flynn talks to the Russians in a suspicious fashion (don’t worry about Obama’s sanctions) and THEN LIED about it.
I just don’t see how asking him about his conversation with Kislyak was not germane; I cannot see it.
It would have forced Trump to pardon him instead of getting the ignorant fat turd to do his dirtywork
My take is the Judge is going to force Trump to pardon Flynn. Just keep putting up roadblocks, one thing courts are known for, and once the election is over and Trump loses he will either pardon Flynn or not.
You’re overthinking this.
Barr was ordered to protect Trump no matter what it took.
Didn’t Barr and Trump get the teeniest tiniest idea that Sullivan wouldn’t dismiss the case after he ripped Flynn a new one at his trial and called him a traitor?
Want to make this more interesting? Go back to the republicans’ attempts to derail the Clinton administration with Kenneth Starr. Guess who played in that game as well? From the Arkansas Times:
Well, Judge Sullivan, will history be lumping you with Robert Bork, or with Eliott Richardson and William Ruckelshaus?
Having Bill Barr provide a respected Federal judge an opportunity to become complicit in Donnie’s obstruction of justice – and the subsequent use of that in the further perversion of the political process (through the so-called ‘unmasking controversy’) – is just so Trumpy.
Obviously, any self-possessed individual would hesitate at, and then say ‘No,’ to the prospect,
The best we’re going to get here is that the Judge commits to the guilty plea and some formal sentencing. Then Trump pardons Flynn, who is stuck with the guilty stain on his immortal soul and ends up lobbying for Turkey or some other 2nd World autocrat. The Judge’s actions continue to expose and besmirch Barr, et alia, as a bunch of political malefactors and Barr eventually rots in the 9th Ring of Hell with †Я☭mp.
Barr understood that well enough. Judge Sullivan is a known quantity.
The (pending) DOJ motion is Barr’s attempt to make the judge buckle. The action is on the very edge of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. I’d argue that Barr is acting in bad faith – and so would a thousand others.
But even if the judge holds firm, Barr (and Trump) may not quit …
Following Michael Cohen, I’d think “suggested,” rather than ‘ordered’ would be the appropriate word.
ETA: I somehow doubt, though, that Billy spent all that much time trying to wrap his head around the meaning of it.
I think there were lots of moving pieces and Sullivan was trying to satisfy as many as he could…including ongoing testimony and help from Flynn with prosecutors that Sullivan thought would be good for the cases against other bad actors. Then Flynn got word Barr was coming on board, flushed his lawyers down the toilet, regrouped with dedicated legal ratfukkers and looks like a huge infusion of legal-fund help.
Not a lawyer here.
If the judge drags this out until after the election - say if Trump loses - can he dismiss with prejudice, so that AG Kamala Harris (from my mouth, to G-d’s ear) can pick it up again?