President Donald Trump has issued a Pardon for former national security adviser Lieutenant General Michael Flynn. Flynn was targeted by elements of the FBI in 2016 and plead guilty to the charge of lying to the FBI under questionable circumstances in 2017.
It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2020
President Trump’s move is logical as Flynn’s lawyer was successful in gaining a writ of mandamus to compel Washington, D.C. federal District Judge Emmett Sullivan to drop the case. The Judge has refused this order and moved to request an en banc session which will drag out proceedings for months.
Sidney Powell has been busy lately.
Flynn is represented by Sidney Powell, who has been very newsworthy lately due to her defense of President Trump in multiple legal challenges to the election. Powell’s arguments for dismissal of the case against Gen. Flynn were supported by the Department of Justice however, Judge Sullivan still refused in a move largely criticized by conservatives.
The Evidence itself calls for a Pardon
The evidence of the FBI’s dubious process were made public months ago by CBS News Correspondent Catherine Herridge.
#FLYNN AG Barr decision to move to dismiss charges against @GenFlynn in May was based on review by US Attorney Jeff Jansen who uncovered exculpatory evidence, including handwritten notes, about the goal of FBI’s Jan 2017 interview of Flynn “Truth/Admission or to get him to lie ?” https://t.co/ScIsXpYlHU
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) November 25, 2020
House Minority Leader Congressman Kevin McCarthy concurred with President Trump via Twitter as well, calling What happened to General Flynn “a national disgrace”.
What happened to @GenFlynn was a national disgrace. No American should ever be targeted for simply belonging to a certain political party.
President @realDonaldTrump is right to pardon the respected three-star general.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 25, 2020
At the time of General Flynn’s firing President Trump expressed regret regarding the decision.
I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017
Since 2017, numerous investigations by journalists and the agents themselves have had doubt that the FBI acted inappropriately.
Andrew McCarthy wrote for The Hill,
“The Department of Justice (DOJ) last week dismissed the prosecution of Michael Flynn, who fleetingly served as President Trump’s first national security adviser. In all the heated commentary over this decision, scant attention has been paid to the most compelling reason for vacating Flynn’s 2017 guilty plea to one count of making false statements to FBI agents: The government wouldn’t have a prayer of convicting Flynn at trial.
Allowing the conviction to stand would have been a travesty. This basic fact, this utter lack of sufficient evidence, is obscured by the DOJ’s heavy reliance on a legal rationale for dropping the case. In its 20-page memorandum in support of dismissal, the DOJ contends that any false statements by Flynn could not have been material because there was no legitimate basis to investigate or interview him. Federal law makes materiality an essential element of a false-statements charge.”
And The Democrats are LIVID
Congressman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement “This pardon is undeserved, unprincipled, and one more stain on President Trump’s rapidly diminishing legacy”
Representative Adam Schiff continued to propagate the Russia hoax in his tweet,
Donald Trump has repeatedly abused the pardon power to reward friends and protect those who covered up for him.
This time he pardons Michael Flynn, who lied to hide his dealings with the Russians.
It’s no surprise that Trump would go out as he came in —
Crooked to the end.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 25, 2020
The Conclusion, We Hope
Point Blank: the FBI knew they couldn’t make the charges stick, so they moved to drop the case, Judge Sullivan refused. Sidney Powell won a writ of Mandamus from the 3rd Circuit court of appeals to drop the case, Judge Sullivan refused. And now President Trump has pardoned General Flynn, so that this beleaguered, decorated soldier can finally get on with his life.