Thread by @bradheath

Judge Sullivan says DOJ's reasons for seeking to dismiss its case against Mike Flynn "appear pretextual, particularly in view of the surrounding circumstances."

Sullivan rejects DOJ's argument that Flynn's false statements weren't "material" to any investigation. He says they plainly were. (It's unusual for a district judge to take a more expansive view of what's illegal than DOJ does, but this is an unusual DOJ argument.)

Sullivan says DOJ doesn't use this standard in other cases, making the point that the government's legal arguments in Flynn's case is "perplexing" and appears to be a rule that applies to his case alone.

Sullivan: "Where, as here, the government justifies its motion by ignoring applicable law to now question the strength of its case, substantial doubt arises about the government's stated reasons for seeking dismissal."

Sullivan he is skeptical that Flynn, "the National Security Adviser to the President, clearly in a position of trust, who claimed that he forgot ... that he personally asked for a favor from the Russian Ambassador that undermined the policy of the sitting President."

So, as everybody expected, Judge Sullivan says the DOJ was full of it when the government argued this year that it needed to drop its case against Mike Flynn, but President Trump's pardon means the case is now over.
courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

Judge Sullivan pretty clearly thought that the Justice Department's stated reasons for dropping the charges against Mike Flynn were "pretextual" and this was basically a political favor to President Trump.