Why Trump Is Obsessed With the Flynn Case
It’s the perfect combination of distraction, fear-mongering and red meat for his base. nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
It’s the perfect combination of distraction, fear-mongering and red meat for his base. nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
This👇🏼👇🏼 
📌Mr. Flynn dissembled about the call w/ Kislyak, & his lies were made public, exposing him to potential blackmail by Russia.
📌He then lied to the F.B.I. about it, was indicted & ultimately entered a guilty plea in Dec 2017 for those false statements.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
📌He then lied to the F.B.I. about it, was indicted & ultimately entered a guilty plea in Dec 2017 for those false statements.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
Flynnis now seeking to withdraw that plea, resulting in the release of this new material.
📌Three of the pages of new material released show the F.B.I. discussing at what time in their conversation with Flynn they should warn him that lying is a crime.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
📌Three of the pages of new material released show the F.B.I. discussing at what time in their conversation with Flynn they should warn him that lying is a crime.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
The FBI are balancing his rights with the need to learn the truth and assessing how to do so without rattling him.
👉🏼Far from entrapment, that is standard operating procedure.
Repeat after me:
THIS
IS
STANDARD
OPERATING
PROCEDURE
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
👉🏼Far from entrapment, that is standard operating procedure.
Repeat after me:
THIS
IS
STANDARD
OPERATING
PROCEDURE
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
The fourth page of the documents consists of notes debating precisely the issues that Trump accuses the F.B.I. of barreling past.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
The notes include the question of “What’s our goal” and query whether it is “Truth/admission or get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?”
‼️STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
‼️STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
‼️Given the gravity of the situation, it would have been malpractice not to at least ask those questions as they prepared.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
The F.B.I. agents were confronted with a senior national security official who had already had a conversation with Russia that raised serious legal issues and had already lied about it.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
The notes are examining the two basic options in the situation:
🔑Mr. Flynn can tell the truth or lie, with consequences flowing accordingly.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
🔑Mr. Flynn can tell the truth or lie, with consequences flowing accordingly.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
When the F.B.I. has serious evidence of wrongdoing, it is normal to put targets in this bind. Law enforcement seldom puts all its cards on the table when questioning a suspect.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
📌This is not “entrapment,” where one is induced to commit a crime.
📌Rather, the F.B.I. was trying to elicit the truth of whether a crime had already been committed.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
📌Rather, the F.B.I. was trying to elicit the truth of whether a crime had already been committed.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
📌The alternative would be to lay out all the evidence (which the notes also discuss).
📌But that would have put accountability and our national security at risk by possibly discouraging Mr. Flynn from talking.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
📌But that would have put accountability and our national security at risk by possibly discouraging Mr. Flynn from talking.
nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opi…
