Schiff: Flynn plea 'very significant'

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




BY MALLORY SHELBOURNE - 12/03/17 09:30 AM EST

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday, that former national security advisor Michael Flynn’s guilty plea is “very significant.”

In an interview with ABC News’ “This Week,” Schiff said special counsel Robert Mueller “must have concluded that he was getting a lot of value” out of Flynn’s cooperation with the probe.

“So I think this is very significant. I think the fact that in his factual basis for the plea he sets out that he wasn’t acting as a rogue agent,” Schiff told George Stephanopoulos. Schiff’s comments come after Flynn last week pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the U.S.

“And I think it indicates to me at least, that this is not the end of it by any means,” the congressman added.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/362983-schiff-flynn-plea-very-significant

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Warner: Every week another shoe drops in Russia investigation

BY OLIVIA BEAVERS - 12/03/17 09:28 AM EST

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that "each week another shoe drops" indicating alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

"This president has been obsessed with this investigation, always saying, 'there is nothing there,'" Warner told host Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union."

"But each week another shoe drops where we see more evidence of continuing outreach from Russians and some response from the Trump campaign and Trump individuals," he continued.

His comments come shortly after President Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

more
http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/362982-warner-every-week-another-shoe-drops-in-russia-investigation

[AmericanActivist]

1. K n R nm

[AlleganCarpenter]

2. Hey, DU ers,

What happened to the item which indicated Pence was considering resigning in the wake of the Flynn plea deal? Did it get scrubbed? It was on the Home page Saturday night 12/2. Where did it go?

[Calista241]

3. Unfortunately, Flynn cannot be used as a witness now.

Let’s hope he had something physical, like recordings or documents, to turn over in exchange for the plea.

I cannot understand why Mueller would destroy the credibility of his own witness. You’d think Mueller could convict him of something other than lying to the FBI.

[lagomorph777]

4. WTF are you talking about?

[Calista241]

5. Flynn has plead guilty to lying under oath to the FBI

That’s the worst kind of witness to have on the stand. He is utterly not believable in a eyes of the law, and has a documented, provable history of not telling the truth.

Trump, on the other hand, has not been convicted of lying in the eyes of the law. You may think he lies, i may think he lies, but that means jack shit in court.

A defense lawyer is going to say something like:

Lawyer: “so you’ve lied before under oath, correct?”
Flynn: “yes”

Lawyer: “in fact you’ve been convicted of lying to the FBI and federal prosecutors before correct?”
Flynn: “yes”

Lawyer: “are you lying now?”
Flynn: “no”

Lawyer: “did Mueller promise not to imprison you forever, and did he agree not to prosecute you kids?”
Flynn: “yes”

Lawyer: “so you’re up here saying what you’re saying so you don’t go to jail.”
Flynn: “but i promise it’s the truth.”

So, unless Flynn has some documents that he retained, or has some other recorded conversations from December / January or possibly early Feb, he’s useless as a witness. Flynn was fired and had a lawyer in February, so any communications between Trump and Flynn would have taken place through counsel afterwards, thus limiting his use of wearing a wire if he had any meetings with anyone after that. Mueller wasn’t even appointed as Special Counsel until May.

Now, prosecutors can still use what he tells them to direct their investigation, but he himself can never be used as a witness in any prosecution of anyone else.

[LanternWaste]

6. Same was alleged of John Dean, star witness in the Nixon investigation.

Same was alleged of John Dean, star witness in the Nixon investigation.

Let's not pretend our seasons invested in watching Law & Order have any payoff in reality...

[Calista241]

7. Dean prepared for his departure from the Nixon administration.

He made a private deal and did a shitload of undercover work for the FBI while still employed by Nixon as White House counsel.

In fact, Dean asked Nixon for immunity, and his request was declined, and only afterwards did Dean for to the feds. Dean was convicted of one count of obstruction, not lying under oath.

Unless you believe Flynn did that kind of work in the 20ish days he worked for the President, the situations are not comparable.

[lagomorph777]

8. That exact type of witness is very commonly used in racketeering prosecutions.

It certainly means prosecution has to make a case for credibility, and show a ton of corroboration. Mueller can do that stuff in his sleep.