The Resistance is always eagerly awaiting any news from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, and Tuesday night was to be the big reveal of Mueller’s sentencing recommendation for former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Popehat, one of Twitter’s most famous attorneys, made sure to bring the hype:
OH MY GOD THIS FLYNN SENTENCING BRIEF IS INCREDIBLE
I"M SORRY THAT I DOUBTED MUELLER
THIS IS THE ROADMAP. THIS IS THE SMOKING GUN. THIS IS THE LOC-NAR. THIS SPELLS THE END.
It proves, conclusively, devastatingly, that 1/
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
Oh man!
…..and the inherent difficulty of proving that he attempted to "corruptly persuade" a witness for purposes of Section 1512 when he had a plausible argument that a digital recording depicting substances other than urine is not a "pee tape." Moreover, forensic examination…../17
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
. . .not "all Tamara's idea," as the President claimed. [Here the Special Counsel notes that the President was likely referring to Tiffany, his daughter.] At any rate, this is not a legal defense to the Mann Act, and under either a conspiracy or aiding and abetting theory…/57
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
Oh man, this isn’t even a real thread. We’ve been Rick Rolled:
You forgot the link… ? pic.twitter.com/rauSERAb14
— noahharlan (@noahharlan) December 5, 2018
— Mike M (@Iron_____Mike) December 5, 2018
Recommended
This is plain mean. Also a little funny.
— Elizabeth Picciuto ⚪️ ⚪️⚪️⚪️?⚪️??? (@epicciuto) December 5, 2018
Change your name to MeanieHat
— Jennie ?? (@ellewoodsgolfs) December 5, 2018
— Neal Coleman (@necoleman) December 5, 2018
how do I make a report about a war crime
— Gruntyginman ? (@Bucherm) December 5, 2018
Rude.
— Scott Moomaw (@aboutamoo) December 5, 2018
— Drumpf Micropenis (@Dons_Angry_Inch) December 5, 2018
Elizabeth….this is the big one!!!!!
— Rocksteady (@pcpablow) December 5, 2018
I am, like, on the edge of my chair, biting nails and stuff
— Comfortably Numb (@YGalanter) December 5, 2018
But in all seriousness, Mueller’s recommendation is out, and it’s his opinion that Flynn should serve no jail time, having cooperated extensively with the investigation.
Mueller says Flynn gave ‘substantial assistance’ to Russia probe, recommends no prison https://t.co/INQvOcCIU0
— POLITICO (@politico) December 5, 2018
Mueller recommended that Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, receive no prison time, citing the former Trump advisor's "substantial assistance" in the Russia investigation. https://t.co/Kw0mIs5aoY
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) December 5, 2018
Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, provided “substantial” aid to special counsel Robert Mueller, which merits a judge’s consideration at Flynn’s sentencing later this month, prosecutors said in court papers.
— NPR (@NPR) December 5, 2018
BREAKING: Special counsel Robert Mueller's office is okay if Michael Flynn doesn't serve any prison time — his crime was "serious," prosecutors said, but he also "substantially" assisted the government, per filing tonight https://t.co/Ty1nlrZAm2 pic.twitter.com/JRe6v3zyq8
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) December 5, 2018
So now the question is … just how “substantial” was the aid Flynn provided to Mueller’s team?
The new court filing appears to show that Flynn has helped with three separate investigations – the Russia probe, and two others which are redacted pic.twitter.com/PdgJ0MVVVz
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) December 5, 2018
As for the Russia probe, there are hints in between redactions – Flynn provided "firsthand" info about Trump transition contacts pic.twitter.com/eNFFbUIFcX
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) December 5, 2018
OK, for real this time:
Flynn memo drops (for real) as @renato_mariotti and I are recording his podcast. Main memo: 7 pages. Portion about cooperation: 6 pages, heavily redacted.
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
/2 In main section of memo, Mueller's office recommends probation — a non-custodial sentence.
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
/3 The Special Counsel also filed a separate memorandum talking about the value of Flynn's cooperation. It's more extensive than I expected (6 pages) given the low sentencing stakes. It is heavily redacted (blacked out).
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
/4 The redacted addendum says that Flynn provided help in a criminal investigation about [completely blacked out, but not Russia.] Also says that Flynn helped illuminate Trump campaign coordination with Russia. Lots is blacked out — really nothing revealed.
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
/5 So: Flynn helped with some non-special-counsel investigation (we don't know what yet) and helped substantially with investigation of Trump Campaign/Russia communication.
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
/7 In short, this isn't a bombshell, If Michael Cohen's plea is a Richter Scale 7 quake, this is a 5.
— ScottFreeHat (@Popehat) December 5, 2018
I see you guys waitin' on the Flynn sentencing memorandum, and I just want to throw this out there: what if there isn't much there there?
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) December 5, 2018
I'm seeing so much delicious complaining about the redactions.
*kisses fingertips*
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) December 5, 2018
Couple of takeaways based on quick read of the Mueller filing:
–Flynn provided info on the transition period, which isn't a surprise. But doesn't seem to be much reference to pre-election activities
–A lot of the sentencing aid memo is dedicated to Flynn's Turkish lobbying— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) December 5, 2018
Also, members of The Resistance are probably wetting themselves wondering just what Flynn told Mueller.
Trump's Flynn tweet is going to be so amazing
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) December 5, 2018
* * *
Update:
Joel Pollak has some interesting thoughts:
Robert Mueller's filing about Michael Flynn reveals that he would not have been in trouble had it not been for the @washingtonpost's report that Flynn spoke with the Russian ambassador, which it could only have known through an illegal leak of unjustified government surveillance.
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) December 5, 2018
Thus the basis for the Russia collusion investigation was, in fact, collusion between the outgoing Obama administration, the intelligence services, and the anti-Trump media. Conveniently, that allowed Mueller to "turn" Flynn, who may not have lied about Russia in the first place.
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) December 5, 2018
Flynn's apparent deceptions about Turkey are more serious and provide good reason for him not to have been National Security Advisor. Still, the way he was spied on, unmasked (by whom, we do not yet know), victimized by an illegal leak, prosecuted, and turned is stomach-churning.
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) December 5, 2018
Related:
New Yorker admits Robert Mueller faces ‘formidable barriers’ in charging President Trump https://t.co/DsulyvB00R
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 1, 2018
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