The Flynn case: Nice son. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.
There’s almost too much news on the Flynn case to digest at once.
Yesterday some documents were revealed, and today some more.
Here’s the basic story that broke yesterday:
My quick hot takes:
1) They set up a perjury trap but
2) When it didn't catch Flynn, they offered him a deal he couldn't refuse…we'll leave your son alone if you plea to a crime we know you didn't commit. https://t.co/rUB8qSsulr— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) April 29, 2020
Schumer was right, for once (Jan 3, 2017):
“Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you,” Schumer told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.
This case involves not just a determination to get Flynn convicted of something (anything) while all the time uncovering nothing, but also the following: an attempt to get at Trump through Flynn, a perjury trap set for Flynn, a coerced guilty plea (through a threat to prosecute Flynn’s son), the contemplation of prosecuting Flynn on a law that has never been enforced against a US citizen (and should be inapplicable anyway to someone who is part of a president-elect’s security team, as Flynn was), the long-term withholding of information from Flynn that he was entitled to, various seemingly corrupt lawyers on both prosecution and defense (Flynn’s first defense team, that is), and a large group of “public servants” in the FBI and elsewhere who seem to have no respect whatsoever for the law except how to use it to snare their perceived enemies.
And I doubt I’ve covered it all.
Oh, and watch this smarmy arrogant expletive-of-your-choice bragging about what he did:
People really criticized President Trump for firing this guy?
Listen to @Comey shamelessly brag about getting “away with” setting up @GenFlynn..pic.twitter.com/IrU2ErJaXr
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) April 30, 2020
You can read more here as well as here. And in a caricature of itself in the “Republicans Pounce” and “Republicans Seize” mode, the NY Times headlines its own article: “Flynn Lawyers Seize on Newly Released FBI Documents” (I’ve passed my free article limit this month so no, I haven’t read the actual article).
As Andrew C. McCarthy points out:
What we are seeing is a meticulously planned-out scheme to try to get a 33-year combat veteran of the United States to say something that was inaccurate so that they would have a basis to try to charge him with false statements or otherwise get him fired”…
They did not have a legitimate investigative reason for doing this and there was no criminal predicate or reason to treat him [Flynn] like a criminal suspect…
They did the interview outside of the established protocols of how the FBI is supposed to interview someone on the White House staff…
“People should understand,” McCarthy explained, “if General Flynn was a gangbanger or Mafia guy, they would have sat down with them or they would have told him, ‘This is a criminal investigation,’ they would have identified themselves as FBI agents, told him the reason for the interview, told him he had a right not to answer questions and told him if he made false statements, that could be grounds for prosecution. And if he made true statements, that can be used against him in a prosecution.
“They would do all of those things for criminals,” he added.
Not for Flynn. And that’s what Comey was laughing about.
There’s more from McCarthy here. I could quote almost any passage, but I suggest you read the whole thing. Here’s a tidbit that doesn’t appear in the other pieces I’ve read, and that reflects McCarthy’s special insight as a former prosecutor:
These passages cited in Powell’s exhibits tend to corroborate the claim of an agreement not to prosecute Flynn’s son. It is fair, then, to infer that the threat of such a prosecution was indeed used to pressure him. The exhibits also strongly suggest that the prosecutors did not want an explicit acknowledgement of such a commitment — which would make sense only if they planned not to disclose the commitment in future cases in which they anticipated calling Flynn as a cooperating witness.
In other words, they hoped in the future to use Flynn to testify against other people, and if it was discovered that his confession and cooperation were coerced through a threat to his son, it might undermine his credibility in the eyes of the public. So they took pains to hide it by having an outside agreement about it that did not appear in the official court records.
I would say that all of these revelations are profoundly shocking except that we on the right already pretty much have known most of the scenario for years. But the MSM covered up, the FBI stonewalled, and it was only Flynn’s newer lawyer Sidney Powell and Barr who forced these documents out into the open. I think it’s a safe prediction to say that the MSM and the Democrats will continue to ignore it, excuse it, twist it, do everything they can to negate it in people’s minds (prosecutors pounce!), and hope enough people will believe them.
It’s worked before. It might work again.
But this is the fall of the rule of law, the utter politicization and corruption of the agencies of both the DOJ and the FBI under Obama, and so far the perpetrators have gone scot free. It offends any sense of decency or fairness, and it is an outrage if the people involved continue to walk.
And I think they will, except perhaps for the smallest of fish.
You might think them stupid to not have destroyed these papers long ago. After all, they had plenty of time to do so. But I think they thought the evidence was too well hidden and would never come to light. In addition, they were so arrogant, so full of themselves, and in particular so very sure that even if the information did come out, the press and the Democrats would cover for them no matter what. So they felt no need to destroy them.
This isn’t ordinary corruption. This is something for which I don’t have a proper word. “Evil” is too general. “Depraved” isn’t quite right, either. It doesn’t fit the definition of “treasonous” either, not exactly. I see it as operatic or even Shakespearian in its hubris, its scope, and its triumphant malignity. That’ll have to do for a description.
Will it be operatic or Shakespearian in its consequences for the perpetrators? In other words, will hubris lead to nemesis? I very much doubt it.
Brian Cates cogently wonders today **Where is the hidden agent Joseph Pientka, the Ghost?**, and concludes **He’s turned states’ witness, awaiting the big rollout.**
Sounds about right to me. If so, then prosecutions would seem to be in the offing. Why, supposing a well established case, wouldn’t there be? No goddamned reason on earth, is what.
Please let this be the starting gun for a Durham onslaught.
If it is proven that Flynn was subjected to malicious prosecution or prosecutorial malfeasance or was blackmailed by the DOJ/FBI and members of Obama’s inner circle of advisors, the perpetrators should be hanged by the neck till dead.
Further, ALL their entire financial assets – including retirement funds/pensions, etc. should be turned over to Flynn to help defray his legal costs and in some manner compensate him for destroying his life.
Unless very severe punishment is imposed upon these MF’ers we can expect this sort of behavior to occur again.
This entire incident is no different than the sort of crap that was routine in the USSR during the bloody reign of Stalin and his murderous side kick , chief of the NKVD (the secret police) Lavrentyi Beria; the latter famous for saying “show me the man and I will show you the crime.”
I find it hard to believe that members of Obama’s inner circle, if not Obama himself, was not aware of the FBI/DOJ/NSA illegal spying on his political enemies.
After all he “weaponized” the IRS to go after organizations (see Lois Lerner) that opposed his policies, is a proven liar (“”you can keep your health care plan under Obamacare”), and has proven to be a total POS liar (see the Benghazi “video” BS).
If it is found that Obama approved all of this, he too should be dealt the same punishment as all the other conspirators.
By the way, apparently Michele “it’s been a struggle” Obama just released a video encouraging people of color to stay indoors, just ONE DAY before Barry HUSSEIN went golfing at his private golf club.
the left aint seeing it… none of it
also they are not seeing other things given the woman who runs you tube is censoring big time by following certain orgs as justification..
we are going down…
and there is no stopping it..
even people who should choose differently cant see the harm they will do to themselves… and once that happens, well, you get things like germany or Venezuela… people voting in something with a surity that its not what it is, and then discovering otherwise, after its too late..
after all.. the victim of a serial killer doesnt know till AFTER they are trapped
these political people are similar… they believe till they are forced not to
and the only time they are forced not to, is way after its over and its a done deal
[note that they cherry pick a lot… ie. they want to harm X so they ignore and cherry pick even from the same sources… so they will claim that trump said x, but ignore the same source informing them y said it earlier… they are ignoring mother jones speaking about biden… or like milano, just twisting like a pretzel… your going to see waves of changers, like the recent dem who endorsed trump because of all the good he has done for the black comunity… and then got attacked badly for it and is standing up against it]
This was a plot to destroy an elected president and his administrative staff before he was even sworn in. It appears that plan was to pick on the new guy, non-politician Trump, get him to lose it, and run him off right out of the gate and making it costly for those who planned to help him build a good staff.
The bullies, kind of the frat boys vs. the nerd goofball Trump and his hot wife and skinny kids. I saw this movie a long time ago and I hope once more the bullies get whacked and the nerd wins in the end.
I am hoping their are enough actual decent people in the media and the Democratic party who will pay attention to the revelations of the FBI, CIA and other alphabets and the criminal acts of sedition the have committed.
Nothing will happen to any of them. Or at least criminally nothing. Just run out the clock and it will disappear under the next president.
Corruption is also a term for decay and decomposition. In that sense it’s an apt word, as is “decay” come to that.
Word is that the former FBI general counsel has flipped. If true, lots of people going to jail.
Here’s the deal: Obama ordered the FBI and CIA to spy on Americans without a warrant and entrap Flynn. One handwritten note references the WH. And this is when Obama was out of the WH. This was a first a plan to defeat Trump in November and then destroy his presidency. It was a coup.
This is the biggest scandal in American political history and Barack and Hillary ran the whole thing.
How about arrogant institutionalized corruption?
Flynn was worth destroying in his own right, even apart from Trump.
He turned the centralized intelligence community on its ear.
Charlie Brown will never kick the football, and the swamp will always protect its own.
Tim:
Yes, they had a beef with Flynn as well. But the bigger fish was Trump.
The Schumer quote applies to both.
“Evil” works for me. Satanic works also, Neo.
“I am hoping there are enough actual decent people…”
I understand your sentiment, but that ship sailed 6 decades ago.
“I find it hard to believe…”
Of course you do.
Cornhead, I hope you’re right. If people don’t pay a legal price for this, we can give up on having a country based on laws.
I, too, am struggling to be optimistic that justice will finally prevail.
Maybe it’s when we reach that point, that the light finally exposes these pigs for what they are.
Add “Devious” and “Sinister” to the adjectives that apply but don’t quite cover the malfeasance. I too have little (but some) hope that the perpetrators will get (some of) what they deserve.
In addition to this drama, however, there is a follow up line of inquiry that deserves far more exploration that it has received: What were members of the Obama administration up to that compelled them to break the law —and rule-of-law norms— to stop Trump and Flynn from undoing or uncovering?
There’s also a more general condition in the zeitgeist that worries me: if the mainstream media does not report something, then it did not happen in the minds of society as a collective. If something untrue is trumpeted, then it did happen. Propaganda, repression and framing the debate are successfully applied by a corrupt class who accrue prestige and riches in ways that can only be described as fraud, theft and oppression if described honestly. That applies as much to Janet Napolitano’s sinecure atop the University of California after decades of loyal service to Democrat power brokers and political correctness as it does to Hunter Biden’s lucre from US foreign aid dollars by way of a Ukrainian gas company.
There is a strong opinion among legal minds that it would be hard, if not impossible to get a conviction of any of these Cretins.
So be it. Some will say that what I propose stoops to their level. Well, that is too bad. This sort of thing must have consequences if it is ever to be snuffed.
So, bring the charges; a multitude of charges. Do the Swat team raids in the pre-dawn. Do the perp walks. If you can get their families in the nighties, make sure it gets out somehow. Make them lawyer up. Use every tool in the prosecutor’s bag of dirty tricks to stretch it out until the targets are ruined financially–just like the people they ruined. If you can get some convictions, so much the better.
That is nasty. War is nasty. War is hell. We are at war.
When I take a step back, I ask myself, “Why Flynn? Why did he need to be charged or fired?” Here is what I think:
He was a major opponent in the Intelligence Community of Obama’s Iran deal. This whole thing is Obama’s revenge. Would John Brennan have done this on his own initiative? Would Comey? Would Sally Yates? They all greenlighted it. Yates came up with the Logan Act angle. Brennan was been cheering it on from his perch on TV. We can see Comey preening above.
This really was a revenge and wrecking operation. Could it have happened without Obama’s knowledge and at least tacit approval?
He was a major opponent in the Intelligence Community of Obama’s Iran deal.
The audacity of opposing a bad deal that would secure Obama’s legacy. Even the Germans, today, are having buyer’s remorse.
Agree, Oldflyer. Prosecute the H out of them ALL. Tear them down the same way they did it to their victims.
I’m praying for Barr and Durham, daily.
I’m with you, Oldflyer. Ruin them.
It’s a bit surprising people don’t seem generally to grasp the meaning of Susan Rice’s memo-to-file.
The memo declares loud and clear that Obama and his minions — like Rice, Yates, Biden and others — know with perfect certitude that they are all — one and all — exposed criminally, and therefore are in want of just such falsifying cover as Rice’s lawyerly-sculpted memo can provide to stoopnagels.
It’s a red-light, flashing the message: “NOTHING BUT BULLSHIT HERE!“.
Hence my puzzlement how people seem to miss it.
sdferr:
What makes you think people missed it?
” Make them lawyer up. Use every tool in the prosecutor’s bag of dirty tricks to stretch it out until the targets are ruined financially–just like the people they ruined. If you can get some convictions, so much the better.”
Yes. 1000X yes.
Cornhead:
Word is that the former FBI general counsel has flipped. If true, lots of people going to jail.
I wish that were true, but I am not holding my breath.
Of course not everyone has missed it, neo, but frequently enough I see either omissions in accounts or premises which can’t be upheld without denying the fundamental give-away this datum constitutes (since I interpret it as an admission of guilt standing in plain sight). I guess I just don’t see it given the prominence I reckon it deserves.
It was institutionalized, conspiratorial treachery at a national level and of the highest degree, the type that requires each conspirator to carefully evaluate their individual actions within the legal limits of sedition. And by that very careful navigation, treason was in their heart. They are traitors to their country and a disgrace to their profession.
What Oldflyer said. Even if there were few convictions there would be punishment. There has to be a price paid.
If Baker has flipped, they should be able to get indictments. Go, go, go!
Aesop, go look up “secret combination” in your scriptures and read all the references.
I ask myself, “Why Flynn? Why did he need to be charged or fired?” I ask myself, “Why Flynn? Why did he need to be charged or fired?”
There’s a story that’s been around a while that Flynn PO’ed the FBI deep staters by sticking up for Robyn Gritz, who I believe had been fired for trying to expose corruption in the FBI.
Matthew: a reply to your question about the motives (plural) to get rid of Flynn in particular is found here.
https://www.thenewneo.com/2020/04/30/more-on-flynn-and-still-more/#comment-2492330
Commenters at LI also speculate that he represented one of the few experienced DC hands in the new Trump administration, but lament that he showed such surprising naivete in talking to FBI without counsel – Bongino addresses that in the link I gave Matthew.
See this also
https://www.thenewneo.com/2020/04/30/more-on-flynn-and-still-more/#comment-2492304
Ymarsakar on May 1, 2020 at 12:33 am said:
Aesop, go look up “secret combination” in your scriptures and read all the references.
* * *
I have that particular list on speed-dial.
Over to you Judge Sullivan…,
This is an ideology, and its proper name is nihilism. And it is extremely evil and malicious. In moral domain it is called Leninism.
Cicero: “Satanic evil” sounds even better. These types look as if they came directly from the pages of “Demons” by Dostoevsky.
I’d give the feds some credit. They’d use the subjunctive, not like the Mob.
“Shame if anything WERE to happen to him.”
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demonic narcissism, from Ann Barnhardt.