Thursday, March 30, 2017

Mike Flynn Offers to Testify in Exchange for Immunity


The Trump/Russia story line has taken on even more life as the Wall Street Journal reports that Mike Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, has offered to testify to the FBI and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution.  I'd find it hard to believe that part of Der Trumpenführer's anatomy isn't puckering big time at the moment.  Having assisted the FBI in a few cases as noted in prior posts, to win immunity, one generally needs to have something very good - translate damaging to the main targets - to offer. Watch for  Der Trumpenführer to trigger something outrageous in an effort to distract the media from what be the first sign of blood in the water so to speak.  Here are highlights from the piece in the Journal:
Mike Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, has told the Federal Bureau of Investigation and congressional officials investigating the Trump campaign’s potential ties to Russia that he is willing to be interviewed in exchange for a grant of immunity from prosecution, according to officials with knowledge of the matter.
As an adviser to Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign, and later one of Mr. Trump’s top aides in the White House, Mr. Flynn was privy to some of the most sensitive foreign-policy deliberations of the new administration and was directly involved in discussions about the possible lifting of sanctions on Russia imposed by the Obama administration.
 He has made the offer to the FBI and the House and Senate intelligence committees through his lawyer but has so far found no takers, the officials said.
It wasn’t clear if Mr. Flynn had offered to talk about specific aspects of his time working for Mr. Trump, but the fact that he was seeking immunity suggested Mr. Flynn feels he may be in legal jeopardy following his brief stint as the national security adviser, one official said.
Mr. Flynn was forced to resign after acknowledging that he misled White House officials about the nature of his phone conversations with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. during the presidential transition.
Mr. Flynn’s communications with the Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, have been scrutinized by the FBI, which is examining whether Trump campaign personnel colluded with Russian officials who are alleged to have interfered with the presidential election, according to current and former U.S. officials. Russia has denied the allegations.
 Mr. Flynn also was paid tens of thousands of dollars by three Russian companies, including the state-sponsored media network RT, for speeches he made shortly before he became a formal adviser to Mr. Trump’s campaign, according to documents obtained by a congressional oversight committee.
Democratic lawmakers have requested a copy of the security-clearance form that Mr. Flynn was required to file before joining Mr. Trump in the White House, to see if he disclosed sources of foreign income. And they have asked the Defense Department to investigate whether Mr. Flynn, a retired Army general, violated the Constitution’s emoluments clause by accepting money from RT, which U.S. intelligence officials say is part of a state-funded media apparatus.
If Flynn indeed "knows where the bodies are buried" and has the good to take down Trump - and, hopefully, Pence as well  - keep watch on whether his immunity request is accepted.  It could be the first sign that Der Trumpenführer's reign is going to be short in duration.  I will be watching with baited breath.

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