The news that former national security adviser Michael Flynn has not only struck a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, but he’s prepared to testify against Trump, members of the Trump family and “others in the White House” (including testimony that Donald Trump, while a candidate for president, ordered Flynn to make contact with Russia), has prompted a rapid exchange of statements.
Flynn, the man who led the “lock her up” chant at the Republican National Convention, did his own perp walk in front of a federal courthouse this morning, pausing long enough to make a statement.
I recognize that the actions I acknowledged today in court were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right. My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office, reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and our country.
For the moment, the official twit portal has yet to open, but Trump attorney Ty Cobb has provided the kind of response that you would expect from Team Trump.
Today, Michael Flynn, a former National Security Advisor at the White House for 25 days during the Trump administration, and a former Obama administration official, entered a guilty plea to a single count of making a false statement to the FBI.
That’s right, in this contest of “who has the bigger bus to throw people under” Donald Trump is willing to go right to the “Flynn who? Oh, that known liar who worked for Obama” defense. At least as Flynn gets shoved into the nearest oubliette, he can know that his fall will be broken by the bones of Paul Manafort, Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, Felix Sater, and so many others. Plus, there may be company.
Because Flynn’s testimony could get not just Trump, not just Kushner, but … Mike Pence.
Some of the media are still painting Flynn’s agreement as a surprise since Donald Trump “tried to help him” by asking James Comey to drop the investigation into Flynn. But the obvious truth is that Trump was never interested in helping Flynn. He was very, very interested in making Flynn go away, because Flynn has more than enough information on Trump’s activities to sink him.
And not just Trump.
Prosecutor Brandon L. Van Grack said in court that “a very senior member of the transition team directed” Flynn to contact the Russian ambassador at one point. At another, Flynn “called a senior official of the Trump team at Mar-a-Lago” to discuss a United Nations resolution that Flynn talked about with Kislyak.
On the same day that Flynn was directed to talk to Kislyak about that UN resolution …
But who were all these “senior” and “very senior” folks?
Keep that line of buses warmed up, Donald. You’re going to need them all.