Fox reporter: Flynn was charged with 'Martha Stewart Statute'

[DonViejo]

BY JOE CONCHA - 12/01/17 01:36 PM EST

Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge said Friday that the new charge against former national security adviser Michael Flynn involves what's commonly known as "the Martha Stewart Statute," which "simply means Flynn lied to the FBI."

Flynn, who served as President Trump's national security adviser for just three weeks before being fired in February, pleaded guilty Friday morning to lying to FBI agents. The charge makes Flynn the fourth Trump associate charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's election interference and any potential collusion with the Trump campaign.

Herridge, Fox News's chief intelligence correspondent, made the remark on "America's Newsroom" with anchor Bill Hemmer. "When you look closely at this paperwork, what you see here is that the government is saying there was a violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001, mostly people know this as the Martha Stewart Statute," she explained. "It simply means that Flynn lied to the FBI and the FBI had information that was overwhelmingly clear that was in conflict with Flynn’s statements."

"Based on the timeline in December, it appears at least one of those pieces of evidence is a telephone intercept or an electronic communication that showed contrary to what Flynn told the FBI," Herridge continued. "This is a very important moment in the special counsel investigation."

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http://thehill.com/homenews/media/362806-fox-reporter-fbi-charged-with-martha-stewart-statute

[C_U_L8R]

1. They're totally missing the point.

Flynn will be testifying against Trump (and his co-conspirators).
That is seismic.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Not missing it; avoiding it. nt

[marylandblue]

3. That is the point

The people Stewart lied to protect went down with her.

[exboyfil]

4. Which begs the question

Why this charge? A much better charge would be something involving the decision to change the Republican party platform at the convention. That would go to the heart of the corruption during the campaign.

So far this charge looks like lying post election regarding coordinated efforts to change US/Russian policy after the election. While it might technically be a Logan violation, I suspect most administrations have done something similar. Within the confines of laws the executive branch does have the right to craft foreign policy.

I can't imagine that Flynn would have been clueless regarding the coordination during the campaign. His hands should be dirty with that.

[dawg]

5. And you know where Martha wound up?

Prison.