Michael Flynn lied for Trump, and Trump pardoned him. That should surprise no one. This isn’t the first political pardon granted by a president, and won’t be the last. But the stain remains; the pardon doesn’t render Flynn an innocent man; it makes him a pardoned felon.
“Since January 2017, the Flynn case has been among the defining scandals” of Trump’s scandalous presidency, CNN said. “Flynn’s criminal charge had hung over the Trump presidency and shaded nearly every major scandal Trump faced, because Flynn’s lies to the FBI had occurred days into the new administration and were about his transition-time contacts with Russia. …
“The pardon also ends a three-year legal saga where, most recently, Flynn’s charge hung in an appeals court in a fight over separation of powers, while the Justice Department was trying to drop the case,” CNN said. “The trial-court judge … was considering whether to dismiss the case or to sentence Flynn. The Justice Department has said Flynn never should have been investigated by the FBI and that his lies to them in January 2017 were immaterial ….” Note, what CNN refers to as “the Justice Department” is Bill Barr, who’s every bit as corrupt as Trump and a major enabler of Trump’s corruption.
Flynn’s bio goes something like this:
Born and raised in Rhode Island, graduated from University of Rhode Island with a management degree and ROTC commission, climbed the Army career ladder working in military intelligence, and eventually promoted to 3-star general despite getting in trouble for leaking classified information to Pakistan. Ran the Defense Intelligence Agency under Obama; while in that position, developed ties with Russian intelligence and got involved with a Russian woman. Eventually was forced out of that job and retired early from the Army due to complaints about abuse of staff, chaotic management, insubordination, and playing fast and loose with truth. Then ran a consulting business that catered to Russian and Turkish clients, among others, before getting involved with Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Basically a fixer with a history of shady dealings with dictators, and now a pardoned felon, who’ll pay off his legal expenses and retire comfortably by monetizing his victimhood (i.e., writing a book and going on the rightwing speaking circuit).
Photo: Trump’s puppy