@shipwreckedcrew problem with your argument is there was real distinction betw sanctions and expulsions, which was important and relevant to Flynn. In his only contemporary interview (Feb 15, 2017), he readily admitted that he had discussed expulsions, but vehemently denied discussing sanctions.
@shipwreckedcrew 2/ this interview was in response to blockbuster WaPo article which, based on conversations with /893/ anonymous officials in a position to know, said that Flynn had specifically discussed sanctions.
@shipwreckedcrew 3/ Flynn was not guilty of lying about "US Sanctions" as defined in Statement of Offense. At the time, for various reasons, Flynn seems to have assumed that, despite his memory otherwise, the government must have had transcripts showing that he had discussed US Sanctions
@shipwreckedcrew 4/ his lawyers do not appear to have insisted on obtaining transcript of call and do not appear to have carefully examined the 302, which appears to have been made available only at the last minute.
@shipwreckedcrew 5/ while there's been a lot of fuss about changes to the 302, the existing 302 is sufficient to refute the allegation about "US Sanctions".
@shipwreckedcrew 6/ the problem with sanctions was different than expulsions. The Obama admin sanctions were against Russian military intelligence (GRU) with whom Flynn (whose background was in military intelligence) had hoped to cooperate in fight against ISIS, then a serious issue.
@shipwreckedcrew 7/ Flynn didn't get into a discussion of sanctions with Kislyak. This was evident in Strzok's questioning in which the word sanctions wasn't even used.
@shipwreckedcrew 8/ a question: I presume that if the case had come to trial, a Mueller prosecutor would have filed some sort of Superseding Indictment in which he added an allegation about expulsions rather than sticking with the defined (and refutable) term US Sanctions. I also presume that
@shipwreckedcrew 9/ there is no obligation on the prosecution to file such a Superseding Indictment. I remain baffled by the failure of Flynn's lawyers and DOJ to make the obvious technical comment that Flynn was simply not guilty on the stated charge (US Sanctions), separately from other issues.
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