Trump pardons Michael Flynn, former national security advisor who admitted lying to FBI

[demmiblue]

Source: CNBC

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he had pardoned Michael Flynn, his first national security advisor, who pleaded guilty three years ago to lying to FBI agents.

The pardon came before a judge had ruled on a motion by the U.S. Justice Department to dismiss the case and to undo Flynn's guilty plea for making false statements to agent about the nature of his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States after Trump's election in 2016.

"It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!

Trump repeatedly has said he was considering granting the retired Army lieutenant general a pardon in the case.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/25/trump-pardons-michael-flynn-in-fbi-lie-case.html

[AkFemDem]

1. Welp, further evidence

That he knows it’s over. I guess that’s the silver lining here.

[msongs]

2. loses his 5th amendment rights and is still a convicted criminal nt

[dware]

6. No he does not,

if there's a chance of state charges related to the crimes he was pardoned for, then he can plead the 5th.

[SayItLoud]

16. Can he take the 5th if summoned to testify about tRUMP? nt

[dware]

17. Only if there's a chance of state charges coming out of his testimony,

otherwise, it would be up to the presiding judge to determine if he can take the 5th.

[wnylib]

42. Can he be charged and convicted

for another federal crime besides the one he was convicted of? Or does his pardon cover all federal crimes he may have committed and not been charged with?

[cstanleytech]

44. Except there is no such chance as a pardon protects him from such charges so trying to plead the 5th

will not likely survive so he will have to provide the answers a federal investigator might ask him as long as the questioning is carefully done.
Now if it was something involving a new federal case and he might have done something illegal then he can of course plead the 5th to protect himself but not when it is something that took place pre pardon.

[Gore1FL]

29. He doesn't so much lose 5th amendment protections. He simply can no longer self-incriminate.

He has to answer the questions under oath without being able to invoke the 5th, but that is because it no longer applies. If he lies or is in contempt of court, those are matters for which he was not pardoned.

[vishnura]

3. As expected. But not too long ago Flynn would have gotten the chair for treason.

[onenote]

26. Really? When was the last time someone "got the chair" for treason in this country?

The answer is: never.

One person has been executed (hung) for treason, and that was in 1862, which is, for most people, "long ago."

[noneof_theabove]

36. you slept through history class

and didn't do your home work

June 19, 1953

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Charge: conspiracy to commit espionage
Penalty: death by electric chair

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg

[onenote]

38. Uh....as you state yourself, convicted of espionage. That's not "treason"

Different crimes.

I guess you slept through reading comprehension class.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. May they rot together in hell.

[MyOwnPeace]

28. That is, indeed........

the ultimate sentence - and there's no "pardon" for either of them!!!

[George II]

5. Upwards of 2000 Americans are dying every day, the country is a mess, and this fuck head...

...(sorry, I'm angry) is pardoning traitors.

[denbot]

7. Subpoena his ass 1/20/21.

Put him under oath and force him to testify regarding any illegal activities witnessed, or face additional charges. This ain’t over.

[CloudWatcher]

9. Additional charges ...

If I were to wager, I'm guessing he was charged with some of the crimes he's committed, and that there is still a lot he can be charged with under an honest administration.

In any event, I'd suggest he stay away from windows. Putin doesn't like loose ends.

[Marcuse]

39. Yes. A lot of charges went away in the plea deal. He was a Turkey secret agent.

[rurallib]

10. Yes indeed - make it boomerang on Trump's ass

[crickets]

15. +1000000

[wnylib]

43. If he's still in the country.

I don't think he'll stick around to face charges unless he feels confident of beating the charges - and has enough money to cover his legal expenses. If it looks really bad for him, he'll slip away, if he can ditch the SS.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. That was to be expected

And I assume many more criminals from the cabal will get their pardons! Am thinking Manafort possibly.

[maxsolomon]

19. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

This is going to be a vexing 2 months.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. You got that right.

At least there is a little light at the end of the tunnel -

[Sneederbunk]

11. Liar pardons liar.

[dalton99a]

12. Traitor pardons traitor.

[Pacifist Patriot]

13. Did anyone not see that coming?

[rickyhall]

14. I have no problem with pardons -

as long as pardonees (sic) are forbidden to ever work in government again.

[mdbl]

18. Oh he'll work for the Russian Govt

not the U.S.

[maxsolomon]

20. They're not.

Flynn could easily be back in 2024.

[EndlessWire]

21. I remember

researching this Flynn guy way back in the first year. He was involved with some kind of AE consulting or arranging involving the nuclear energy deals that became apparent after awhile. This was around or during the campaign and inauguration of Trump, where he was wheeling and dealing in those lucrative investment scenarios. If you're President, you can get away with anything.

It doesn't pass the smell test.

[Scalded Nun]

23. That pardon will never change the fact that he was, is, and will always be a traitor to this country

[WVreaper]

24. He can no longer take the 5th when testifying!

[EarthFirst]

25. A flurry of pardons will descend upon the White House in the next fifty days...

This was the first of many.

[MyOwnPeace]

30. 'fraid so......................

[marble falls]

27. So Barr couldn't 'fix' this case.

[Fiendish Thingy]

31. It's not clear at the link- was it a charge specific pardon, or blanket pardon?

There are a lot of crimes that Flynn wasn’t charged with, but there is ample evidence for.

Trump may have dug his own grave with this action.

[Cryptoad]

32. Military should Court Martial him for ....

conduct unbecoming ,,,,,,,, i dont think a Prez pardon is valid for military law...

[Mc Mike]

33. I wonder what states Flynn dodged taxes in, with his consulting work for russia and turkey?

[kimbutgar]

34. This was no shock and I think he did it to get the press off of Biden's excellent thanksgiving

Speech today. Another mf45 distraction. But Flynn can be prosecuted for other stuff so he’s not home free.

Plus his reputation is ruined and he is still a felon who is a traitor to our country. I hope he loses his military pension when he is convicted again.

[jalan48]

35. Hopefully we don't look so far ahead we forget where we are.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

37. I hear he can still have problems in state courts

Please proceed.

[OhioTim]

40. Hundreds

I predict Trump will pardon hundreds of people, including pre-emptive pardons for his kids, WH personnel, lying press secretary and anyone this scum has had any contact with.

[wnylib]

45. I think you're right, unfortunately.

So it will be up to various states to bring these characters to justice if the states find anything on them.

Could individual citizens, or a citizen group, bring civil suits against some of Trump's people for damages done as a result of incompetence or malfeasance?

[COL Mustard]

41. Wel, At Least Flynn Is Still A Convicted Criminal

And I think he's the dumbest Army 3-star I've known in the past 40 years.

[Polybius]

46. Wasn't he pardoned for what he was convicted of?

Or was he pardoned for something else?

[COL Mustard]

47. While The Pardon May Nullify The Conviction

He was still convicted. Never let him forget it.

And Happy Thanksgiving!