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Judge Questions Whether Pardon of Flynn Is ‘Too Broad’

December 4, 2020 at 12:54 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A trial judge raised the possibility that another federal judge overseeing Michael Flynn’s case could find that President Donald Trump’s pardon of Flynn is too broad, if it unlawfully protects the former national security adviser from future prosecutions,” the National Law Journal reports.

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Unmasking the ‘Obamagate’ Nonsense

May 13, 2020 at 3:51 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell declassified a list of more than a dozen Obama administration officials who requested the National Security Agency “unmask” a U.S. citizen mentioned in classified foreign-intelligence reports that turned out to be Michael Flynn.

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Filed Under: Members, National Security, Trump Transition Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Prosecutors Back Away from Prison for Michael Flynn

January 29, 2020 at 7:45 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Prosecutors have appeared to back away from their recommendation that former national security adviser Michael Flynn serve up to six months in prison, saying in court filings that probation remained a “reasonable sentence” that they would not oppose, the Washington Post reports.

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Flynn to Be Sentenced Next Month

December 16, 2019 at 2:46 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A federal judge on Monday rejected Michael Flynn’s attacks against the FBI and the Justice Department, setting a long-delayed sentencing for President Trump’s former national security adviser for Jan. 28,” the Washington Post reports.

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Michael Flynn to Be Sentenced In December

September 10, 2019 at 1:23 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A federal judge on Tuesday set sentencing for Dec. 18 for President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn as prosecutors warned they reserved the option to recommend prison time instead of probation for Flynn,” the Washington Post reports.

“Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Van Grack issued the notice as the government and Flynn’s new defense team escalated their legal fight in Washington over Flynn’s request that a court throw out his prosecution because of alleged misconduct by prosecutors in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.”

Filed Under: National Security Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Flynn’s Lawyers Try to Delay Sentencing Again

August 30, 2019 at 9:59 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Lawyers for the U.S. government and for Michael Flynn said on Friday they disagree about whether President Trump’s former national security adviser is ready to be sentenced for lying about his discussions with a Russian ambassador,” Reuters reports.

“In a status report, Flynn’s lawyers, who were hired earlier this year, said they have not had enough time to review the case, and want 90 days before updating the court on the case.”

“Government lawyers, in contrast, said Flynn is ready for sentencing, and proposed that he be sentenced between October 21 and 23 or between November 1 and 15.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Prosecutors No Longer Want Flynn to Testify

July 9, 2019 at 11:51 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Michael Flynn will not testify against his former business partner at a trial starting in Alexandria federal court next week because prosecutors no longer believe his version of events,” the Washington Post reports.

“Flynn, President Trump’s onetime National Security Advisor, had been expected to be a key witness in the trial of Bijan Rafiekian, with whom he ran a consulting business. Flynn’s sentencing in his own criminal case has been on hold pending that cooperation.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Flynn’s New Lawyer Seeks Security Clearance

June 24, 2019 at 7:53 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A lawyer that Michael Flynn recently hired said on Monday that she would most likely need a security clearance to review classified materials that were separate from the documents that prosecutors for the special counsel, Robert Mueller, had already handed over in the case,” the New York Times reports.

“The lawyer, Sidney Powell, made the unusual disclosure during a hearing in Federal District Court despite prosecutors’ insistence that they included no classified information in the evidence they shared with the defense. Her remarks heightened speculation that Ms. Powell — who has pushed conspiracy theories about the special counsel’s investigation and sells anti-Mueller T-shirts on her website — may be preparing to accuse the government of wrongdoing in Mr. Flynn’s case.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Flynn to Appear In Court with New Lawyer

June 24, 2019 at 7:57 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Michael Flynn will appear in court on Monday for the first time since hiring a new lawyer who criticized Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election,” Reuters reports.

“The lawyer, Sidney Powell, is a conservative commentator who frequently appears on Fox News and sells t-shirts that say ‘Creeps on a Mission’ featuring images of Mueller, former FBI Director James Comey and other Justice Department officials.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

House Intelligence Subpoenas Flynn, Gates

June 13, 2019 at 9:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The House Intelligence Committee said that it “had issued two new subpoenas demanding that Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, and Rick Gates, a former top Trump campaign aide, provide testimony and documents related to their interactions with Russians,” the New York Times reports.

Filed Under: House of Representatives Tagged With: Michael Flynn, Rick Gates

Trump Hails Michael Flynn as a ‘War Hero’

June 13, 2019 at 7:56 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

As Michael Flynn continues to await sentencing for lying to federal investigators about his contacts with Russian officials, President Trump is hailing his former national security adviser as a “war hero,” CBS News reports.

Trump also said that Flynn had “served with distinction.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Flynn Hires Mueller Critic as New Attorney

June 12, 2019 at 12:20 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Michael Flynn, who abruptly fired his legal team last week, “has hired former prosecutor turned defense lawyer—and vocal critic of Robert Mueller’s special counsel team—Sidney Powell to represent him,” the Federalist reports.

“Flynn’s firing of his former attorneys… comes at a strange time, and following several significant developments, raising speculation about Flynn’s intentions.”

David Kurtz: “Looks like Mike Flynn is putting all his marbles on a presidential pardon.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Did Trump Ask His Lawyer to Contact Flynn?

June 9, 2019 at 9:04 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“As the special counsel’s investigators pursued the question of whether President Trump tried to impede their work, they uncovered compelling evidence — a voice mail recording and statements from a trusted witness — that might have led to him,” the New York Times reports.

“A lawyer for Mr. Trump, John Dowd, reached out to a lawyer for a key witness who had just decided to cooperate with the government, Michael Flynn. Mr. Dowd fished in his message for a heads-up if Mr. Flynn was telling investigators negative information about Mr. Trump — while also appearing to say that if Mr. Flynn was just cutting a deal without also flipping on the president, then he should know Mr. Trump still liked him.”

“But the president’s role, if any, remains a mystery.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Flynn Suddenly Fires His Lawyers

June 6, 2019 at 12:15 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Michael Flynn has fired his legal team as he awaits sentencing for lying to the FBI about his conversations with a top Russian official,” Politico reports.

“The lawyers, Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony, offered no explanation for their abrupt dismissal in a two-page motion delivered to the federal judge who will mete out Flynn’s punishment stemming from his 2017 guilty plea to Robert Mueller’s prosecutors.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Justice Department Fails to Comply with Court Order

May 31, 2019 at 5:10 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Justice Department on Friday released a transcript of a call from Donald Trump’s attorney John Dowd to Rob Kelner, the lawyer for Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, where he sought information about Flynn’s discussions with the special counsel,” CNN reports.

“However, the Justice Department refused to turn over transcripts of Flynn’s calls with Russian officials, including then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, as was expected after Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered prosecutors to file those publicly.”

“Separately, the Justice Department hasn’t released any additional parts of the Mueller report that were previously confidential. The judge had told prosecutors they needed to make public redacted sections of the report that pertained to Flynn by today.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Someone ‘Connected to Congress’ Tried to Influence Flynn

May 16, 2019 at 7:04 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A filing unsealed in federal court says an unnamed person “connected to Congress” allegedly attempted to influence former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s willingness to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, Politico reports.

Meanwhile, CNN reports there’s a voicemail recording of a member of the Trump administration reaching out to Flynn and his lawyers while he was cooperating with Mueller.

Filed Under: House of Representatives Tagged With: Michael Flynn

What We Still Don’t Know About Michael Flynn

December 18, 2018 at 3:55 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Chait: “Two more mysteries remain. The first is just what crimes by Flynn Mueller’s prosecutors found. The second, even larger, is what Flynn gave them on Trump. If his offenses were as serious as Sullivan indicated, and Mueller still suggested he skip prison, it stands to reason that the evidence he turned over concerning other figures is devastating.”

“Flynn was not set up. He was charged for committing serious crimes. And he is probably going to escape prison because the crimes committed by the people he worked with and for are even more serious.”

Filed Under: White House Tagged With: Michael Flynn

Flynn’s Lawyers Ask for Delay In Sentencing

December 18, 2018 at 12:58 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Lawyers for former national security advisor Michael Flynn asked a federal judge to delay his sentencing for 90 days — until his cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is complete — during a sometimes heated appearance in D.C. federal court on Tuesday, Axios reports.

Washington Post: “The delay was a stunning development in the case, as it had appeared Flynn would be able to avoid time behind bars.”

Filed Under: National Security Tagged With: Michael Flynn

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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