18 May 2019

The Plot Thickens

Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser is in the news again as he awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to a single felony count. The sentencing judge has ordered release of certain documents and other evidence that casts a new light on how the Trump campaign courted Wikileaks to obtain emails stolen by Russia and also how certain individuals engaged in actions on the President's behalf that look an awful lot like witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

These developments are important because they reveal in part aspects of the Mueller Report that were redacted from public view. These include:

(1) An unsealed filing reveals a yet unnamed individual "connected to Congress" attempted to influence Flynn's decision to plead guilty and cooperate with the special counsel's investigation into Trump and his associates (details here and here) in an action that could be illegal witness tampering.

(2) A voicemail recording exists of someone from the Trump administration contacting Flynn to influence his testimony (details here) in another action that could be illegal witness tampering. A transcript of this call will soon be released.

(3) A transcript will be released by the end of the month of the now infamous telephone call between Flynn and the Russian ambassador about the incoming Trump administration's plans for closer relations between Washington and Moscow (details here). This is the call that Flynn later attempted to cover up by lying to the FBI, a crime which led to his downfall.

Flynn, of course, was only one of several associated with Trump who lied to keep secret details of contacts between the President and Russia. The question has yet to be answered as to who, if anyone, higher up the chain of command ordered these lies and why.

These revelations also cast a darker cloud on claims by Trump's attorney general that the President should not be charged with obstruction of justice once he leaves office. They suggest the unredacted Mueller Report paints and even more unflattering picture of the President than is seen in the public redacted version.

Columnist Jennifer Rubin published a good summary piece (link here) on why these reactions are so important.

In reacting on Twitter to these developments, Trump tried to blame others for the fact that he brought Flynn into his own campaign and offered him a job as his National Security Adviser.

More on this will come soon. Stay tuned.

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