Donald Trump’s thoroughly corrupt Justice Department today dropped its criminal case against Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser, who pleaded guilty previously to lying to F.B.I. agents about his conversations with a Russian diplomat.
The Justice Department said it had concluded that Flynn’s interview by the FBI was “untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn.”
🚨🚨 SCOOP –> WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Department is dropping criminal case against ex-Trump adviser Flynn, according to court filing obtained by AP.
— Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) May 7, 2020
Here was Flynn’s reaction, a tweet after a long silence on the case.
My grandson Travis…“and JUSTICE for ALL” ⚖️❤️🙏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IuOGugjOC3
— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) May 7, 2020
Trump said he was ‘very happy’ after the Justice Department, led by Attorney General and noted scumbag Bill Barr, suddenly announced intent to drop criminal charges against Flynn on Thursday.
President Trump said he was ‘very happy’ after the Justice Department abruptly sought to drop criminal charges against his former national security adviser Michael Flynn https://t.co/GbBjrSZiPK pic.twitter.com/m18Me4KqSj
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 7, 2020
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said the move incriminates Bill Barr, “in the worst politicization of the Justice Department in its history.”
Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his illicit Russian contacts.
His lies do not now become truths.
This dismissal does not exonerate him.
But it does incriminate Bill Barr.
In the worst politicization of the Justice Department in its history.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 7, 2020
And never forget, from 2017:
I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017
From the New York Times:
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.
Justice Dept. Drops Case Against Michael Flynn
On the one hand, Flynn lied to Pence and the FBI about his contacts with foreign minister of Russia.
On the other hand, he was a secret foreign agent for Turkey.https://t.co/zIstdBozs6
— Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) May 7, 2020
“The decision to drop the charges against General Flynn is outrageous," says @HouseJudiciary Chairman @RepJerryNadler. The evidence against General Flynn is overwhelming. He pleaded guilty to lying to investigators."
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 7, 2020
House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler calls for a DOJ IG investigation of the decision to drop the Flynn case. pic.twitter.com/UGDXggN99c
— Darren Samuelsohn (@dsamuelsohn) May 7, 2020