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| Flynn knows he's going to the iron college. He's delaying the inevitable. |
The federal sandwich was taken off the table. Flynn asked for a postponement of his sentencing. He wanted to continue his assistance in the Robert Mueller probe. The judge was not happy about Flynn's delay.
After almost two dramatic hours in a courtroom discussing his crimes, he asked to postpone his sentencing for several months so he can have more of an opportunity to cooperate in federal investigations and attempt to mitigate the judge's disgust with his actions.
"I want to be frank with you, this crime is very serious," federal Judge Emmet Sullivan said in the courtroom Tuesday. "Not only did you lie to the FBI, you lied to senior officials in the incoming administration."
U.S. federal judge Emmet Sullivan ruled earlier Monday that the material is "relevant" to Flynn's sentencing and had ordered the government to publish the interview, known as a "302," and make it publicly available.
According to the memo, FBI agents who spoke to Flynn. The former FBI agent who handles matters involving Russia was Peter Strzok who was fired out the cannon this year.
Flynn was questioned about conversations with Sergey Kislyak about the United Nations vote surrounding Israeli settlements. Flynn responded quickly saying, "Yes, good reminder" and told the FBI agents a number of countries he met with, including "maybe Russia/Kislyak."
Strzok worked on the Mueller Russia probe until it was discovered he ha exchanged text messages critical of Trump and his presidential campaign.
Flynn, who pleaded guilty last year to lying to FBI agents in a January 24, 2017, interview in the West Wing of the White House, told the judge on Tuesday "I was aware" that lying to the FBI was a crime. He said he accepted responsibility for his actions.
Prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller's office had asked the judge to give Flynn little to no jail time because he had cooperated extensively with them and in at least one other investigation, a case in Virginia against Flynn's former business associates in which they are accused of illegally lobbying for Turkey. Prosecutors said Tuesday that Flynn had already given the "vast majority of cooperation" the judge should consider for his sentence but it was possible he could still help in other prosecutorial actions.
At one point, Sullivan wrongly suggested Flynn had acted as an illegal agent of a foreign government while serving as national security adviser. "That undermines everything this flag over here stands for. Arguably, you sold your country out," Sullivan said. Later, the judge walked that comment back, acknowledging that Flynn's unregistered lobbying for the Turkish government ended in November 2016, while Flynn worked on the Trump campaign and transition and before they took the White House.
As much of the hearing unfolded and the tension in the room grew, there was little obvious reaction from members of the Flynn family, some of whom have embraced and amplified unfounded claims of FBI misconduct on their social media accounts. Many of them sat in the front row of the courtroom, and when the judge rhetorically asked if his "treason" implication was incorrect, some of Flynn's supporters loudly said, "Yes."
Before the hearing, about a dozen family members and friends present had appeared to be in a good mood, with Flynn even telling his supporters as he entered the courtroom, "You made it."
Trump himself had wished Flynn "good luck" in a Tuesday morning tweet, adding that it "will be interesting to see what he has to say."
Over the past year, Flynn has given Mueller a key witness on some of the most scrutinized moments during the Trump campaign, transition and first month in the White House -- while also turning the former Army lieutenant general into a political cause backed by conservatives wary of Mueller's approach. "Nothing has been held back" during the cooperation sessions, Flynn's defense lawyer told the court on Tuesday.
Oh, I forgot CNN reported that Donald J. Trump did offer some support to Flynn as he awaited sentencing.
Biggest outrage yet in the long, winding and highly conflicted Mueller Witch Hunt is the fact that 19,000 demanded Text messages between Peter Strzok and his FBI lover, Lisa Page, were purposely & illegally deleted. Would have explained whole Hoax, which is now under protest!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2018
Good luck today in court to General Michael Flynn. Will be interesting to see what he has to say, despite tremendous pressure being put on him, about Russian Collusion in our great and, obviously, highly successful political campaign. There was no Collusion!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2018
Russia Dossier reporter now doubts dopey Christopher Steele’s claims! “When you get into the details of the Steele Dossier, the specific allegations, we have not seen the evidence to support them. There’s good grounds to think that some of the more sensational allegations.....— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2018
....WILL NEVER BE PROVEN AND ARE LIKELY FALSE.” Thank you to Michael Isikoff, Yahoo, for honesty. What this means is that the FISA WARRANTS and the whole Russian Witch Hunt is a Fraud and a Hoax which should be ended immediately. Also, it was paid for by Crooked Hillary & DNC!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2018
Michael Isikoff was the first to report Dossier allegations and now seriously doubts the Dossier claims. The whole Russian Collusion thing was a HOAX, but who is going to restore the good name of so many people whose reputations have been destroyed?— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2018
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