Documents show FBI debated how to handle investigation of Michael Flynn
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn leaves federal court in Washington. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Michael Flynn is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General who was briefly the National Security Advisor to President Trump. In 2017 he pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI in relation to the Special Counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. This act was to shield his son from threats of aggressive Federal investigation. Yesterday papers were released to Flynn’s defense attorney identifying potential criminal misconduct on the part of the FBI.
By JOSH GERSTEIN, KYLE CHENEY and NATASHA BERTRAND
Newly released documents about the origins of the criminal case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn show that FBI officials feared that the new Trump White House might view the bureau as “playing games” if it sought to interview him without disclosing exactly what it was up to.
The four pages of records provided to Flynn’s defense attorneys last week and unsealed on Wednesday by a federal judge reflect internal brainstorming at the FBI in January 2017 about how to approach the politically explosive investigation into Flynn’s contacts with the Russian ambassador weeks earlier, during the presidential transition.
Flynn’s lawyers and supporters said the notes and emails were “smoking gun” evidence that he was railroaded by FBI officials intent on bringing him down. But defenders of the FBI’s handling of the investigation said the records showed thorough and thoughtful deliberation about how to handle an exquisitely sensitive inquiry into the president’s top national security aide just days into a new administration.
One page of handwritten notes dated the same day Flynn was interviewed, Jan. 24, 2017, appears to show a debate about how forthcoming to be with him or others at the White House about the nature of the FBI investigation.
“If we’re seen as playing games, WH will be furious,” the notes say. “Protect our institution by not playing games.”
The notes also reflect deliberation about whether confronting Flynn with a lie in real time would be helpful to their investigation.
“What is our goal? Truth/admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” the notes read.
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“Flynn doesn’t need to be pardoned, he did nothing wrong, he needs to be fully exonerated with all charges dropped immediately!” Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, wrote on Twitter.
The president himself tweeted out a Fox News story about the development.
Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted: “Clear now that General Flynn was set up by dirty cops at the highest levels of our government.”
Time for some old fashioned Justice. Read the rest of the article here: Politico
Category: Breaking News, Legal, Trump!
Hopefully he will be cleared. i heard Hannity talk about it last night. I’m going off topic for a sec remembering we left Norfolk NOB 55 years ago today April 30th for Santo Domingo. Where did the time go.
Geezo Pete, it’s almost like Chicago LEOs with nastier attitudes and maybe bigger “guns”, ain’t it? Did they take their style from Jon Burge?
I’ve heard that confession is good for one’s soul… but they don’t have that option, do they? Naw… no souls at all.
Surprised it happened? Nope! Surprised the truth is finally coming out? Yep! Will we ever see the FeeBees and the Clinton Crime Syndicate do a perp walk? Doubt it, but I can always dream, can’t I?
The deep seated corruption of the FBI goes all the way back to its founding. There are those of us who remember JEH’s “private files” and will remember that the FIRST thing that dasHitlerbeast, the Bitch of Benghazi, the murderous trash from hell skrunt did when her and slick willy did when they took over the WH was to go get JEH’s “private files”. What was in those “private files” are the reasons that the Clinton Crime Syndicate was able to get away with all that they did. I wonder how many more swamp rats are getting nervous right now?
The FBI should be disbanded. It is corrupt. It was turned into the Stasi by 0bama’s crew. I am still amazed that Flynn hired the law firm to initially defend him where Eric Holder was a partner.
What? Erica Holder?
No effing way.
Linky please.
I have always been suspicious of Flynn.
It seems he was really railroaded by the FBI, but he was a general officer. That’s a political position, and they all support climate change policies and a shitload of SJW bullshit.
I have been served long enough in the Army to know that about 50% of the officer corp is krap.
“or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” is a question which should lead to instant firing, loss of any accrued pension, and a “don’t bother objecting unless you want to see what gen pop REALLY looks like for an ex-LEO”. Absolutely disgusting that any LEO should even ask that.
That such a question came up at all is telling as to the overall integrity of the process and the FBI as a whole. I’m curious as to who wrote those notes, as that sentence is tantamount to an admission of false prosecution.
Either Flynn is innocent and corrupt politically-motivated feds set him up in a perjury trap, or he’s guilty and corrupt politically-motivated feds inexcusably compromised the investigation with this crap. Either way, the FBI is dirty and culpable. Necks should stretch for it.
Everyone here who is interested in this case needs to read Sean Davis’s article about these docs at The Federalist. Especially the attached docs, even with all the black lines. It is obvious from their content that the top FBI swamp rats (7th Floor) were under instructions to nail Gen. Flynn at all costs. The 0bama gang apparently felt Flynn had information that could hurt them and would pass it to POTUS Trump. Remember, it was Brennan himself who told David Ignatius to “take the kill shot” on Flynn and publish what he or his minions had leaked to Ignatius (likely the top secret transcript or tape of Flynn’s call to the Russian ambassador, Kysliak). More and more evidence is surfacing of a soft coup d’ etat. The plotters need to be prosecuted.
It is beyond chilling to see just how close they came. And how some members of Congress are gearing up for another attempt.
Does anyone besides me wonder if Rome was this corrupt so early in its history?
Time moves very different now.
Or rather, the rate of technological development keeps growing exponentially, therefore times flies.
Back in ancient or classical Rome, you jumped 300 years to the future or the past and very little changed.
Do that now.
In Texas the Austin DA filed charges against Governor Perry. In Wisconsin the Milwaukee DA had SWAT teams raid the houses of those close to Governor Walker because his policy proposals upset the DA’s wife, an official in the Teacher’s Union. The FBI sent a SWAT team after Roger Stone in the early morning hours (because a 67 year old man with no obviously rates such a heavy handed response). And of course the IRS went after political opponents of the last administration after Lois Lerner met with the previous President on multiple occasions.
The point of bringing up all of that is that the left has absolutely no qualms about using the full force of the law against their political opponents (us). And that’s because they know that the partisan media and the corrupted bureaucracy have their back. Unless and until someone pays a serious price for those sorts of shenanigans don’t expect it to stop.
I gotta marvel at how they thought they’d get away with it. Take a moment and realize that they didn’t shred the notes about their conspiracy to go after a political opponent. Who in their right fucking mind documents their criminal acts and then puts it in the case file? Someone who is (overly) confident that they can do whatever they want.
The Hoover legacy lives on at the FBI. That place has has a crooked bent at the top for decades, but still for some reason is seen as the pinnacle, most prestigious, can do nothing wrong law enforcement agency in the country.
Maybe some of those notes have been hidden away until the right subpoena came along. Just maybe they found their way back into the file very recently.
There are still a lot of true patriots on the payroll. No telling how many copies of all this dirty business are floating around.
Can we see their notes on the Hillary Clinton private server investigation. 180 degrees from their heavy handed tactics against a man who served the nation his entire adult life.
Those notes were likely disappeared within a week after Corrupt Comey’s little exoneration presser.