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As you may have heard, there has been BIG (speculative) News in the Mueller Trump-Russia Investigation, in the last 24 hours: That Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn may be turning “state’s evidence” against the Trump Team. Flynn’s Lawyers abruptly severed of ties with Trump Team Lawyers, which strongly suggests that Flynn is now working with Mueller.
The Question remains however: Why would Flynn do this, when Trump has already demonstrated his willingness to use his power of the Pardon, in very questionable legal circumstances?
Just wait it out, and Michael and Company could be ‘In like Flynn’ — quite literally.
Trump lawyers believe Flynn poised to cooperate in Russia inquiry – reports
by David Smith in Washington, The Guardian — Nov 24, 2017
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[George] Papadopoulos has been cooperating with Mueller’s investigators and, it has been speculated, may have worn a wire to collect evidence. [Michael] Flynn, however, would be a star witness for the special counsel.
His lawyers notified Trump’s legal team in recent days that they could no longer discuss Mueller’s investigation, the New York Times said, citing four unnamed people involved in the case. “Flynn’s lawyers had been sharing information with Mr Trump’s lawyers,” the paper wrote. “That agreement has been terminated.”
Although this alone is not proof that Flynn has turned state witness, the development has led Trump’s lawyers to conclude that Flynn has at least begun discussions with Mueller about cooperating, according to the Times.
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What would be Flynn’s motive to rat-out his former boss? — a boss who has implied he will grant Pardons to anyone who will continue to protect their (apparent) extra-sovereign, rogue operation …
Well here’s the former Trump-insider’s “motive” right here, as discussed on MSNBC this morning:
‘He knows something really significant’: Ex-Watergate prosecutor says Flynn must have busted Trump or his family members
Former Watergate prosecutor and General Counsel of the Army Jill Wine-Banks explained why Michael Flynn is reported to be cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of President Donald Trump.
“I think that we can look at, ‘why is Flynn now possibly cooperating?’ One would be to protect himself and his son, and the other is that he doesn’t trust the president to be able to pardon him, because otherwise, he could rely on that, instead of cooperation,” Wine-Banks explained to MSNBC anchor Katy Tur on Friday.
“I think the reason for that may be the state charges are possible on the talking about kidnapping Gulen, the Muslim cleric,” Wine-Banks suggested. “That could explain why he’s cooperating instead of waiting for a pardon, is the need for protection you can’t get pardoned from a state crime.”
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And as we learned a few months ago Robert Mueller has outwardly demonstrated his willingness (perhaps eagerness) to keep New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman “in the loop” on Trump Team crimes, that took place in New York’s jurisdiction …
Therefore ...
by Eric Levitz, nymag.com — Nov 24, 2017
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But the evidence points to Flynn flipping. Earlier this month, NBC News reported that Mueller has enough evidence to bring charges against Trump’s former national security adviser. This makes sense: Flynn was on the Turkish government’s payroll for most of the 2016 campaign, a fact he failed to disclose until after he left the White House. Mueller has already indicted Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort for similar failures of disclosure. Further, Flynn’s early exit from the White House was triggered by lies he told to the FBI.
Last December, Flynn spoke to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak about U.S. sanctions against the Putin regime. In January, he told federal investigators that he had done no such thing. Unfortunately for Flynn, Kislyak was under routine surveillance by the U.S. government, and a recording of their phone call exposed his fib (eventually, the Washington Post did, too). Lying to the FBI is a federal crime, one that Mueller nailed former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos for, before securing his cooperation.
The special counsel is also eyeing Flynn and his son, Michael Flynn Jr., for offenses far more severe. Last December, the Flynns allegedly took a meeting with agents of the Turkish government, in which they discussed arranging the extrajudicial rendition (a.k.a. kidnapping) of a legal U.S. resident in exchange for $15 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. That resident was Fethullah Gülen, the Turkish cleric turned American charter-school founder whom Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has blamed for the failed coup attempt against his regime in July 2016.
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It’s not like the Flynns haven’t already committed (alleged) serious crimes — on New York soil.
Crimes, which if proven true, are well beyond Trump’s immune-worthy ability to Pardon.
If the suspected Flynn-flipping is indeed true, can anyone say “Game, Set, Match”
— could it finally be: Game Over, in Trumpville.