Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort is off to jail for the next seven years and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen is wrapping things up with Congress before he starts his three years of quiet time. But there’s also news on another member of Trump’s former campaign team. On Tuesday, special counsel Robert Mueller and lawyers representing former national security adviser Michael Flynn filed a joint report for U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan saying that Flynn had completed his cooperation with the special counsel.
When Flynn appeared before Sullivan in December, there were suggestions that the man who led the “lock her up” chants at the Republican National Convention was thinking of stepping back from his deal to cooperate with the special counsel and other prosecutors. Judge Sullivan none-too-subtly reminded Flynn that “you sold your country out,” and instructed him to think hard about his actions.
Flynn apparently got the message that should he walk away from Mueller, the single charge of lying to investigators was unlikely to represent the extent of his exposure. The result of that Dec. 18 hearing was that Flynn asked for additional time “to complete his cooperation” with Mueller. Now Flynn is asking for even more time—an additional 90 days—so that he can provide help with another case in the Eastern District of Virginia, likely the case of his former business partner Bijan Rafiekian, who will face charges of illegal foreign lobbying for Turkey in July.
The special counsel’s office officially took “no position” on whether the judge should grant that stay. But when it comes to what Michael Flynn has to say on any matters being considered by Robert Mueller, his cooperation is considered “complete.” In earlier documents, Muller also noted that Flynn’s cooperation was “substantial” and acknowledged that his early cooperation was critical.
On one level, that’s gratifying. But on another, it’s deeply concerning. No charges against anyone else connected to the Trump campaign appear to have been generated out of Flynn’s statements, and what appears to be a document completely writing off further need to talk to the ex-general would seem to make it unlikely that future indictments would be tied to his testimony.
Whenever Flynn’s sentencing finally arrives, the single charge of lying to investigators could result in probation. The maximum sentence would be six months, but the special counsel has recommended that Flynn receive a sentence at the low-end of the possible range.