Obama Knew Details of Flynn Wiretap

[Hoosier_Hack]

I wanted to post this article. It details a meeting in which Obama, Comey, and others met about Flynn wiretaps. From the article, I don’t really think there is any wrong doing but you can see where some of this is pointing.

obviously, Obama had a personal issue with Flynn. Flynn believes it has to do with his steadfast and aggressive stance on Islamic Extremism Flynn took while working in the Obama Whitehouse and is the crux of why he departed under Obama.

we don’t know the reasons yet. But it also points to the extreme grip the Obama Whitehouse had on personnel. Either tow the line or face a lifetime of alienation. It will be interesting to see how this part plays out. It won’t go anywhere with Obama but it will be interesting to watch.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ob...lls-surprising-top-doj-official-new-docs-show

 

[Digressions]

If I did one tenth of the things-one tenth- of what Michael Flynn did, I would be behind bars. And the Justice Department wouldn't lie, make excuses, and bend over backwards to try and secure my release.

The released emails of the FBI agent asking what the department's goal for the Flynn interview was, isn't evidence of some grand conspiracy. It's evidence that they knew at the time they were interviewing a guilty POS that was willing to lie. And his multiple admissions of guilt corroborate as much.

No need for further debate. Just admit that you want a lying POS to escape punishment- that 99% of the population would have to endure(or probably worse)- just because you think he's on your team.

 

[Ohio Guy]

There's a lot of noise surrounding Flynn somehow being exonerated or that all this proves that Russian interference really was a hoax. All of that is laughable. A little over a month or so ago, a friend of mine suggested follow Heather Cox Richardson's facebook page. She does a daily summary of the day's news and more often than not I find them balanced, no-nonsense and straight facts. Since I've more or less stopped watching any news lately, I find her straightforward daily posts refreshing and informative.

Here is a snippet of yesterday's post. I challenge anyone to show me where she's factually inaccurate:

Flynn was a lobbyist for the Turkish government and had spent time at a state dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin when the FBI opened a case on him on August 16, 2016, out of concern he might be working with Russia even as he was campaigning for Trump (with his famous “Lock Her Up” chants). On November 10, after Trump was elected, President Barack Obama warned Trump not to hire Flynn for a national security post, but on November 18, Trump named Flynn his National Security Advisor. On December 29, the same day the Obama administration announced retaliatory measures for Russian interference in the 2016 election, Flynn caught the attention of the FBI by making five phone calls to the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. FBI officials and Obama officials thought the conversations sounded like he and Moscow had made a secret deal.

The FBI interviewed Flynn on January 24; he lied about those calls, saying they did not talk about lifting Russian sanctions after Trump was elected. After the interview, acting attorney Sally Yates made an urgent visit to White House Counsel Don McGahn warning him that Flynn was “compromised” and vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians. On February 8, Flynn publicly denied he had spoken to Kislyak about sanctions, but when news broke the next day that he had, his spokesman said he could not “be certain that the topic never came up.” He resigned on February 13. (The next day, Trump met with FBI Director James Comey and asked him to let the Flynn case go. When Comey continued to investigate Russian connections to the Trump campaign, Trump fired him, and the outcry led to the appointment of Robert Mueller as Special Counsel to take over the investigation.)

Flynn offered to testify about the campaign’s connections to Russia in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution, but was turned down. In November, after news broke that Mueller had enough evidence for criminal charges against Flynn and his son, he began to cooperate with the investigation.

In December 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, but was not sentenced because he had not yet finished cooperating with the special counsel’s office. Then, after the Mueller investigation ended, in June 2019, he fired his lawyers and hired Sidney Powell, who had criticized the Mueller investigation. Soon, Flynn backed away from his guilty plea, his lawyer claiming that he had been “ambush[ed]” by FBI agents trying to “trap… him into making statements they could allege as false.” In January 2020, Powell accused the government of “egregious government misconduct” and moved to withdraw Flynn’s guilty plea.

And now the Department of Justice is moving to withdraw the case. It is highly unusual to try to undo a guilty plea, and the switch signals a dramatic shift in the DOJ. The career prosecutor on the case formally withdrew from it just before the Justice Department stopped the prosecution, just as career prosecutors stepped aside when Barr interfered in Trump confidante Roger Stone’s sentencing. The filing claims that FBI agents unlawfully pursued Flynn—that there was no just cause for an intelligence investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, and that therefore his confession is immaterial.​

Did you get that? The Justice Department is saying that any investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election was illegitimate, despite the report of the inspector general saying the opposite. And now, with a Trump crony at Director of National Intelligence there is little hope we will hear more about Russian interference. Both acting DNI Richard Grenell and the man Trump has nominated to replace him, Representative John Ratcliffe (R-Tx), neither of whom have experience in the intelligence community, have been vocal in their disbelief that Russia threatens our elections.​

Still, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan will decide whether to accept the dismissal of the case. Sullivan ripped into Flynn in his 2018 hearing, telling him “I want to be frank with you, this crime is very serious…. Not only did you lie to the FBI, you lied to senior officials in the incoming administration…. I am not hiding my disgust, my disdain for your criminal offense.”

Trump said today that the Justice Department’s decision just adds more evidence to the idea there was “no collusion” between his campaign and Russia (which was, remember, not what the Mueller report said). All the Pulitzer Prizes people won for those stories should be given back, he said, because they were fake news. Trump is talking about reinstating Flynn into the administration.​

​

 

[ButHerEmails]

If I did one tenth of the things-one tenth- of what Michael Flynn did, I would be behind bars. And the Justice Department wouldn't lie, make excuses, and bend over backwards to try and secure my release.

The released emails of the FBI agent asking what the department's goal for the Flynn interview was, isn't evidence of some grand conspiracy. It's evidence that they knew at the time they were interviewing a guilty POS that was willing to lie. And his multiple admissions of guilt corroborate as much.

No need for further debate. Just admit that you want a lying POS to escape punishment- that 99% of the population would have to endure(or probably worse)- just because you think he's on your team.

People say it wasn’t Barr’s call. No just Barr’s handpicked lackey who is the interim US attorney in DC.

The judge has to go for it and even if he dismisses it he can do so without prejudice and the charges can be brought back if we end up with a law abiding president and AG next year. And Flynn will also hopefully be prosecuted for everything they let slide like the illegal lobbying.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

There's a lot of noise surrounding Flynn somehow being exonerated or that all this proves that Russian interference really was a hoax. All of that is laughable. A little over a month or so ago, a friend of mine suggested follow Heather Cox Richardson's facebook page. She does a daily summary of the day's news and more often than not I find them balanced, no-nonsense and straight facts. Since I've more or less stopped watching any news lately, I find her straightforward daily posts refreshing and informative.

Here is a snippet of yesterday's post. I challenge anyone to show me where she's factually inaccurate:

Flynn was a lobbyist for the Turkish government and had spent time at a state dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin when the FBI opened a case on him on August 16, 2016, out of concern he might be working with Russia even as he was campaigning for Trump (with his famous “Lock Her Up” chants). On November 10, after Trump was elected, President Barack Obama warned Trump not to hire Flynn for a national security post, but on November 18, Trump named Flynn his National Security Advisor. On December 29, the same day the Obama administration announced retaliatory measures for Russian interference in the 2016 election, Flynn caught the attention of the FBI by making five phone calls to the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. FBI officials and Obama officials thought the conversations sounded like he and Moscow had made a secret deal.

The FBI interviewed Flynn on January 24; he lied about those calls, saying they did not talk about lifting Russian sanctions after Trump was elected. After the interview, acting attorney Sally Yates made an urgent visit to White House Counsel Don McGahn warning him that Flynn was “compromised” and vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians. On February 8, Flynn publicly denied he had spoken to Kislyak about sanctions, but when news broke the next day that he had, his spokesman said he could not “be certain that the topic never came up.” He resigned on February 13. (The next day, Trump met with FBI Director James Comey and asked him to let the Flynn case go. When Comey continued to investigate Russian connections to the Trump campaign, Trump fired him, and the outcry led to the appointment of Robert Mueller as Special Counsel to take over the investigation.)

Flynn offered to testify about the campaign’s connections to Russia in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution, but was turned down. In November, after news broke that Mueller had enough evidence for criminal charges against Flynn and his son, he began to cooperate with the investigation.

In December 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, but was not sentenced because he had not yet finished cooperating with the special counsel’s office. Then, after the Mueller investigation ended, in June 2019, he fired his lawyers and hired Sidney Powell, who had criticized the Mueller investigation. Soon, Flynn backed away from his guilty plea, his lawyer claiming that he had been “ambush[ed]” by FBI agents trying to “trap… him into making statements they could allege as false.” In January 2020, Powell accused the government of “egregious government misconduct” and moved to withdraw Flynn’s guilty plea.

And now the Department of Justice is moving to withdraw the case. It is highly unusual to try to undo a guilty plea, and the switch signals a dramatic shift in the DOJ. The career prosecutor on the case formally withdrew from it just before the Justice Department stopped the prosecution, just as career prosecutors stepped aside when Barr interfered in Trump confidante Roger Stone’s sentencing. The filing claims that FBI agents unlawfully pursued Flynn—that there was no just cause for an intelligence investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, and that therefore his confession is immaterial.​

Did you get that? The Justice Department is saying that any investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election was illegitimate, despite the report of the inspector general saying the opposite. And now, with a Trump crony at Director of National Intelligence there is little hope we will hear more about Russian interference. Both acting DNI Richard Grenell and the man Trump has nominated to replace him, Representative John Ratcliffe (R-Tx), neither of whom have experience in the intelligence community, have been vocal in their disbelief that Russia threatens our elections.​

Still, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan will decide whether to accept the dismissal of the case. Sullivan ripped into Flynn in his 2018 hearing, telling him “I want to be frank with you, this crime is very serious…. Not only did you lie to the FBI, you lied to senior officials in the incoming administration…. I am not hiding my disgust, my disdain for your criminal offense.”

Trump said today that the Justice Department’s decision just adds more evidence to the idea there was “no collusion” between his campaign and Russia (which was, remember, not what the Mueller report said). All the Pulitzer Prizes people won for those stories should be given back, he said, because they were fake news. Trump is talking about reinstating Flynn into the administration.​

​

"Flynn offered to testify about the campaign’s connections to Russia in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution, but was turned down".
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has anybody seen my Monday morning QB uniform.

 

[cosmickid]

People say it wasn’t Barr’s call. No just Barr’s handpicked lackey who is the interim US attorney in DC.

The judge has to go for it and even if he dismisses it he can do so without prejudice and the charges can be brought back if we end up with a law abiding president and AG next year. And Flynn will also hopefully be prosecuted for everything they let slide like the illegal lobbying.

I don't think Judge Sullivan is going to be inclined to dismiss it, and certainly not in the manner that will preclude further charges.

I wanted to post this article. It details a meeting in which Obama, Comey, and others met about Flynn wiretaps. From the article, I don’t really think there is any wrong doing but you can see where some of this is pointing.

obviously, Obama had a personal issue with Flynn. Flynn believes it has to do with his steadfast and aggressive stance on Islamic Extremism Flynn took while working in the Obama Whitehouse and is the crux of why he departed under Obama.

we don’t know the reasons yet. But it also points to the extreme grip the Obama Whitehouse had on personnel. Either tow the line or face a lifetime of alienation. It will be interesting to see how this part plays out. It won’t go anywhere with Obama but it will be interesting to watch.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ob...lls-surprising-top-doj-official-new-docs-show

"On October 7, 2016, the intelligence community issued a statement confirming that it was the Russian government that “directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.” Then, on January 6, 2017, they released an assessment of both Russian activities and intentions in their efforts to interfere the 2016 election. Here is their key finding:

We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments."

"President Obama ordered sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the interference efforts, shut down two Russian compounds in the U.S., and expelled more than 30 Russian intelligence operatives.

Meanwhile, Michael Flynn, along with Jared Kushner and Erik Prince, was working with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to set up a backchannel for Trump and his staff to be able to communicate with the Russian government in a way that would bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy. Flynn’s interest was focused on his plan for the U.S. and Russia to cooperate militarily, particularly in Syria.

In light of all of that, it was on the day that Obama announced the actions he was taking against Russia for interfering in the 2016 election that Flynn called the Russian ambassador and—in his own words—”requested that Russia not escalate the situation.” On the day he resigned as Trump’s national security advisor, Flynn said that the call “was about the 35 guys who were thrown out. . . . It was basically, ‘Look, I know this happened. We’ll review everything.’” So, on the day that Obama retaliated for Russia’s attack on our democracy, Flynn basically told them, “Don’t sweat it, we’ll take care of all of this once Trump is in office.” He then lied to the FBI about what was discussed on that call.

David Ignatius, the reporter who broke the story about Flynn’s call to Kislyak, identified the critical issue.

There was always a deeper problem, one that still isn’t resolved. Why was the Trump administration so eager to blunt the punishment Obama gave to Russia for what we now know was gross interference in our presidential election? In his Dec. 29 expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, Obama was trying to impose costs on an adversary. The evidence shows that Flynn wanted to reassure this same adversary and to avoid confrontation."

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/05/08/what-barr-doesnt-want-you-to-remember-about-michael-flynn/

This is what Barr wants to gloss over regarding the Flynn situation. None of this was included in the DOJ request to drop charges.
Barr and Shea (both essentially political appointments) were the only DOJ employees to sign off on it. The non-partisan career Prosecutors all told Barr to pound sand...

I posted about Judge Sullivan's mindset regarding Flynn elsewhere. He actually suggested Flynn could have been charged with TREASON...A refresher on Sullivan's demeanor when Flynn accepted the original plea offer in Dec 2018...

"U.S. District Judge Emmet] Sullivan tore into Flynn and his lawyers. He almost bizarrely put Flynn under oath before demanding that he admit his guilt and deny all the right-wing talking points which have recently been repeated by the president himself. He forced Flynn to admit that he knew he was wrong to lie to the FBI and that there had been no misconduct in how his interviews were conducted. He acknowledged that any possible wrongdoing then-Deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe and counterintelligence official Peter Strzok may have committed in other areas had no bearing on his responsibility to be truthful to federal agents.

Judge Sullivan openly questioned whether Flynn could have been charged with treason for operating as an undeclared agent of a foreign power while serving as National Security Advisor, suggested that Flynn had dishonored the flag that was displayed in the courtroom, and said “arguably you sold your country out.”

He also asked Flynn’s lawyers how their filing was consistent with the client taking responsibility for his actions and advised them that they might want to delay sentencing since he was not inclined to let Flynn avoid incarceration."

I think Barr really wanted to help Trump avoid having to deal with the fallout of a pardon of Flynn. I think they felt it was worth a shot and would excite the base, but I just don't think Judge Sullivan is going to bite. I guess we'll see...

 

[ButHerEmails]

I don't think Judge Sullivan is going to be inclined to dismiss it, and certainly not in the manner that will preclude further charges.


"On October 7, 2016, the intelligence community issued a statement confirming that it was the Russian government that “directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.” Then, on January 6, 2017, they released an assessment of both Russian activities and intentions in their efforts to interfere the 2016 election. Here is their key finding:

We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments."

"President Obama ordered sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the interference efforts, shut down two Russian compounds in the U.S., and expelled more than 30 Russian intelligence operatives.

Meanwhile, Michael Flynn, along with Jared Kushner and Erik Prince, was working with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to set up a backchannel for Trump and his staff to be able to communicate with the Russian government in a way that would bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy. Flynn’s interest was focused on his plan for the U.S. and Russia to cooperate militarily, particularly in Syria.

In light of all of that, it was on the day that Obama announced the actions he was taking against Russia for interfering in the 2016 election that Flynn called the Russian ambassador and—in his own words—”requested that Russia not escalate the situation.” On the day he resigned as Trump’s national security advisor, Flynn said that the call “was about the 35 guys who were thrown out. . . . It was basically, ‘Look, I know this happened. We’ll review everything.’” So, on the day that Obama retaliated for Russia’s attack on our democracy, Flynn basically told them, “Don’t sweat it, we’ll take care of all of this once Trump is in office.” He then lied to the FBI about what was discussed on that call.

David Ignatius, the reporter who broke the story about Flynn’s call to Kislyak, identified the critical issue.

There was always a deeper problem, one that still isn’t resolved. Why was the Trump administration so eager to blunt the punishment Obama gave to Russia for what we now know was gross interference in our presidential election? In his Dec. 29 expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, Obama was trying to impose costs on an adversary. The evidence shows that Flynn wanted to reassure this same adversary and to avoid confrontation."

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/05/08/what-barr-doesnt-want-you-to-remember-about-michael-flynn/

This is what Barr wants to gloss over regarding the Flynn situation. None of this was included in the DOJ request to drop charges.
Barr and Shea (both essentially political appointments) were the only DOJ employees to sign off on it. The non-partisan career Prosecutors all told Barr to pound sand...

I posted about Judge Sullivan's mindset regarding Flynn elsewhere. He actually suggested Flynn could have been charged with TREASON...A refresher on Sullivan's demeanor when Flynn accepted the original plea offer in Dec 2018...

"U.S. District Judge Emmet] Sullivan tore into Flynn and his lawyers. He almost bizarrely put Flynn under oath before demanding that he admit his guilt and deny all the right-wing talking points which have recently been repeated by the president himself. He forced Flynn to admit that he knew he was wrong to lie to the FBI and that there had been no misconduct in how his interviews were conducted. He acknowledged that any possible wrongdoing then-Deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe and counterintelligence official Peter Strzok may have committed in other areas had no bearing on his responsibility to be truthful to federal agents.

Judge Sullivan openly questioned whether Flynn could have been charged with treason for operating as an undeclared agent of a foreign power while serving as National Security Advisor, suggested that Flynn had dishonored the flag that was displayed in the courtroom, and said “arguably you sold your country out.”

He also asked Flynn’s lawyers how their filing was consistent with the client taking responsibility for his actions and advised them that they might want to delay sentencing since he was not inclined to let Flynn avoid incarceration."

I think Barr really wanted to help Trump avoid having to deal with the fallout of a pardon of Flynn. I think they felt it was worth a shot and would excite the base, but I just don't think Judge Sullivan is going to bite. I guess we'll see...

Even if the judge dismisses this case, Flynn can still be prosecuted for being an unregistered foreign agent.

 

[Stuffshot]

I wanted to post this article. It details a meeting in which Obama, Comey, and others met about Flynn wiretaps. From the article, I don’t really think there is any wrong doing but you can see where some of this is pointing.

obviously, Obama had a personal issue with Flynn. Flynn believes it has to do with his steadfast and aggressive stance on Islamic Extremism Flynn took while working in the Obama Whitehouse and is the crux of why he departed under Obama.

we don’t know the reasons yet. But it also points to the extreme grip the Obama Whitehouse had on personnel. Either tow the line or face a lifetime of alienation. It will be interesting to see how this part plays out. It won’t go anywhere with Obama but it will be interesting to watch.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ob...lls-surprising-top-doj-official-new-docs-show

Thank you for posting this.

Since you wrote "you can see where some of this is pointing" immediately after writing, "I don’t really think there is any wrong doing," it's obvious you are pointing in every other direction than the corrupt, COVID-19-infested Trump administration's failure to pursue improvement of the healthcare system (as he campaigned), propose a highways/infrastructure bill that both sides say we need or offer the additional tax cut/tax reform legislation he talked about in 2017.

 

[UncleMark]

I think Barr really wanted to help Trump avoid having to deal with the fallout of a pardon of Flynn. I think they felt it was worth a shot and would excite the base, but I just don't think Judge Sullivan is going to bite. I guess we'll see...

Of course this was Barr paying Trump yet another solid. That's his job description.

Sullivan has a weighty decision to make. While IANAL, I have to believe it's still his prerogative to tell Barr the plea has been made and accepted and no coercion was involved, and to then hand down a sentence. That would be delicious.