Trump Pardoned Flynn to Save Himself
Heres the first and most important thing to understand about the crime for which President Trump just pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn: Flynn did not lie to protect himself. He lied to protect Donald Trump.
At the end of December 2016, Flynn had a series of conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. A month later, on January 24, 2017, Flynn was asked about those conversations by the FBI agent Peter Strzok.
In the first set of conversations, Flynn urged Kislyak to oppose a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity. The second set occurred a week later, while Flynn was on holiday in the Dominican Republic. There, Flynn sought to convince Kislyak to persuade the Russian government not to retaliate against the United States, over a round of sanctions punishing Russia for intervening in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump.
From Flynns own narrow personal point of view, there was no reason to lie about any of these conversations. Yes, he was pushing the limits a little bit, doing diplomacy before the new administration took office. A more elegant diplomat would have found a way to honor the rule that theres only one administration at a time, while also communicating what he wanted the Russians to know about the differing intentions of the incoming administration. But such limit-pushing has surely happened often before in the history of American foreign policy. All Flynn had to say to avoid legal jeopardy was, Yes, I spoke to Ambassador Kislyak. Possibly I was premature. My bad.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-pardoned-flynn-to-save-himself/ar-BB1bmnOw?li=BBnbfcQ&ocid=DELLDHP
CincyDem
(6,351 posts)...to anyone and everyone who might possibly testify against him. While it unclear if they can take the 5th, a pardon certainly eliminates the personal pressure a prosecutor can put on a witness. I'm suspect they'll al be given copies of Trump's Trump University deposition as a training video for who many ways to say "ya know, I don't remember".
I'm sure it's easier to be forgetful with a pardon in your back pocket.
thucythucy
(8,045 posts)If the FBI or Justice Dept. wants to question him under oath about this or any other matter, a pardon in no way would protect him if he again perjures himself.
I assume the same will be true of any other pardons Trump hands out.
True, it protects Flynn and others from prosecution of past federal crimes, but it doesn't protect them from being questioned further and being held accountable if they subsequently lie.
demosincebirth
(12,536 posts)thucythucy
(8,045 posts)but I wasn't sure.
Trump may wind up--yet again--shooting himself in the foot by removing Flynn's and others' option to take the fifth.
demosincebirth
(12,536 posts)AleksS
(1,665 posts)A pardoned Flynn cant take the fifth. So after 1/20, he either testifies if called, or goes to jail, and if he lies after 1/20 theres no one to pardon him again.
So if youre Flynn, and the choice is rolling on Trump or going to jail with no one left to hand you a get out of jail free card, what do you do?
iemitsu
(3,888 posts)What we will see soon is all the folk, who can afford it, that are signing up for the new Pay-for-Pardon program.
Maybe Ghislaine Maxwell?
Nitram
(22,791 posts)ResistantAmerican17
(3,801 posts)Time to look back into the sons criminal ass too!!!
marble falls
(57,075 posts)... it's tell the truth or face perjury or contempt charges and go to jail.
He really hates the idea of going to jail.
Marcuse
(7,479 posts)Flynn agreed to be the fall guy, but not a patsy. Hence the very special treatment from Barr and now directly from the soon to be former President.
Response to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)
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