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FBI News Review

Review of FBI's action during election coming next year

Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks

Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks

Review of FBI’s action during election coming next year

FBI foreign influence task force – Google Search
FBI Warns of Mounting Collaboration Between Nations, Criminals to Launch Cyberattacks
FBI Warns of Mounting Collaboration Between Nations, Criminals to … – Washington Free Beacon
Robert Mueller just penetrated the White House gates with Michael Flynn’s guilty plea – Washington Post
Charging Flynn With Lying Shows That Mueller Is Still Only Getting Started – New York Magazine
3:31 PM 12/1/2017 Criminologists Are Asking Jeff Sessions To Release FBI Crime Data FiveThirtyEight
Robert Mueller is a bloodhound on the trail: Donald Trump should be very worried after Michael Flynn’s guilty plea – New York Daily News
Mueller’s swift moves signal mounting legal peril for the White House – Washington Post
Grassley suggests deputy FBI director may have violated Hatch Act – The Hill
Lying to FBI Is Illegal; How About the FBI Lying to Us? – Townhall
The Orthodox Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel and their leadership groups are deeply infiltratedĀ by Putins agents. These matters are serious, and they have to be properly investigated and addressed. M.N.Ā  12.2.17
Lying to FBI Is Illegal; How About the FBI Lying to Us?
8:57 AM 12/2/2017
Trump attacks media in his first post-Thanksgiving tweet
Trump touts benefits of tax cuts for the people that like me best
Is Trump reshaping an entire branch of government the judiciary?
Will Obama Be Questioned About Trump and Michael Flynn in the Russia Investigation? – Newsweek
Flynn’s plea is bad for Trump. But he may never face any consequences.
Flynn’s plea is bad for Trump. But he may never face any consequences. – NBCNews.com
What Flynn’s guilty plea means for Trump and the GOP – NBCNews.com
Michael Flynn Knew the FBI Had Heard His Calls with Russians. So Why Did He Lie About Them? – Daily Beast
Mike Flynn – Google News: ‘Something was desperately wrong with this guy’: US Army lieutenant general who served with Mike Flynn weighs in on … – Business Insider
The details of Michael Flynns plea deal with Robert Mueller are nothing short of brutal
Michael Flynn may have just incriminated Tom Cotton, Donald Trumps new CIA Director pick, in Russia scandal
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Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks
Review of FBI’s action during election coming next year

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ .

Washington (CNN)A watchdog review of how the FBI handled its investigation into then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is on track for release next March or April, Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz said Wednesday.

The inspector general gave no clues in Wednesday’s appearance before the House oversight committee hinting at what the report would conclude. But he said the review is “moving along quite expeditiously.”

Horowitz

opened the probe

Ā in mid-January — prior to President Donald Trump’s inauguration — when James Comey was still FBI director and when questions were still fresh about Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state.

Horowitz indicated at the time it would be a wide-ranging look at multiple ways the Justice Department and FBI may have impacted the election, including potentially improper disclosures of information and the bureau’s decision, days before the election, to release documents on a controversial pardon issued nearly 16 years earlier by Clinton’s husband, President Bill Clinton.
But no doubt central to the probe will be Comey’s multiple announcements about Clinton’s emails. In July 2016, he announced he would not recommend charges against Clinton. In late October — less than two weeks before the election — he notified Congress that the FBI obtained emails it previously did not have and would re-open the investigation.

close dialog

Two days before the election, he said the FBI had reviewed the emails and would not recommend charges.
Then-candidate Trump made the private server a key criticism of his campaign, and Clinton struggled to put the issue behind her.
Horowitz said Wednesday his office has “interviewed dozens of people” and reviewed 1.2 million records.
The report has taken time because some former Justice Department and FBI employees and their attorneys needed to have security clearances authorized, he added.
Horowitz noted the report could be delayed “because, as we’ve seen, events can arise, issues can arise that requires us to do additional interviews or get additional records.”

FBI foreign influence task force – Google Search

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Story image for FBI foreign influence task force from TPM

FBIĀ Sets Up ‘Foreign Influence‘Ā Task ForceĀ To Protect Election System

TPM–Nov 30, 2017
FBIĀ Director Christopher Wray told Congress Thursday that theĀ FBIĀ has a ā€œforeignĀ influenceā€Ā task forceĀ to deal with election interference by outside actors. ā€œI take any effort to interfere with out election system by Russia or any other nation state or non-nation state seriously, because it strikes right at the heartĀ …
FBIĀ Warns of Mounting Collaboration Between Nations, Criminals to …
Highly Cited–Washington Free Beacon–Dec 1, 2017
Media image for FBI foreign influence task force from The Hill

The Hill

Media image for FBI foreign influence task force from Washington Free Beacon

Washington Free Beacon

Media image for FBI foreign influence task force from Newsmax

Newsmax
FBI Warns of Mounting Collaboration Between Nations, Criminals to Launch Cyberattacks

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Washington Free Beacon.

FBI Director Christopher WrayFBI Director Christopher Wray / Getty Images

BY:Ā Natalie Johnson
FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Thursday that adversarial governments are more often collaborating with criminals to carryout cyber attacks against the United States.
Wray said the indictment of a Canadian national who pleaded guilty on Tuesday to helping Russian spies hack into Yahoo email accounts reflect “one of the more dangerous, emerging threats” facing the United States today, known in the intelligence community as a “blended threat.”
“We are seeing an emergence of that kind of collaboration,” Wray testified before the House Homeland Security Committee, noting that until recently governments and criminals worked separately. “Now there’s this collusion, if you will, that’s occurring on a number of instances … like mercenaries being used to commit cyber attacks.”
The Justice Department announcedĀ chargesĀ in March against Karim Baratov, a 22-year-old Canadian citizen, and three other men, including two officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, for their involvement in the 2014 hack into Yahoo that affected 500 million accounts.
U.S. law enforcement officials said Baratov, who theyĀ dubbedĀ a “hacker-for-hire,” acknowledged breaking into email accounts and selling the passwords to an agent of the FSB, a Russian intelligence agency.

The individualsĀ targetedĀ included Russian officials, a European diplomat, a former economic minister from a neighboring country, and a prominent banker.
The case confirmed longstanding suspicions that Russia’s government hires non-government hackers and usesĀ its spy services to facilitate criminal activity in addition to conducting espionage.
Wray, who President Donald Trump handpicked to replace ousted FBI Director James Comey in June, said Russia is attempting to assert its dominance in the world by relying on asymmetric warfare to “damage and weaken” the United States
To combat the threat, Wray said he has set up a “foreign influence task force” within the bureau made up of different divisions, including counterintelligence, cyber, and criminal investigation. He said the agency would also coordinate closely with the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with overseeing critical election infrastructure, to prevent against cyberattacks.

FBI Warns of Mounting Collaboration Between Nations, Criminals to … – Washington Free Beacon

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Christopher Wray – Google News.


Washington Free Beacon
Robert Mueller just penetrated the White House gates with Michael Flynn’s guilty plea – Washington Post

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ mueller – Google News.


Washington Post
RobertĀ MuellerĀ just penetrated the White House gates with Michael Flynn’s guilty plea
Washington Post
Mueller’sĀ decision to actually charge Flynn, then, is clearly a significant escalation of an investigation that has already led to charges against Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, and a similar guilty plea for making false statements byĀ …
Charging Flynn With Lying Shows ThatĀ MuellerĀ Is Still Only Getting StartedNew York Magazine
What Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea Means inĀ Mueller’sĀ Russia InquiryNew York Times
Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea Shows That RobertĀ MuellerĀ Is Closing InWIRED
The HillĀ –Fox News
all 2,303 news articlesĀ Ā»
Charging Flynn With Lying Shows That Mueller Is Still Only Getting Started – New York Magazine

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ mueller – Google News.


New York Magazine
Charging Flynn With Lying Shows ThatĀ MuellerĀ Is Still Only Getting Started
New York Magazine
RobertĀ Mueller, the special counsel appointed to investigate crimes associated with Russia’s role in the 2016 election, speaks softly but carries a big stick. On Friday, he quietly charged one of the biggest players in the saga, Donald Trump’s formerĀ …
RobertĀ MuellerĀ just penetrated the White House gates with Michael Flynn’s guilty pleaWashington Post
Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea Shows That RobertĀ MuellerĀ Is Closing InWIRED
Flynn enters guilty plea, will cooperate withĀ MuellerThe Hill
New York TimesĀ –NPRĀ –New York Times
all 1,292 news articlesĀ Ā»
3:31 PM 12/1/2017 Criminologists Are Asking Jeff Sessions To Release FBI Crime Data FiveThirtyEight

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ FBI News Review.

Saved Stories Saved Stories – None Criminologists Are Asking Jeff Sessions To Release FBI Crime Data … – FiveThirtyEight Flynn is front and center – and that’s bad news for Trump and his relatives – SFGate Keeping America Secure in the New Age of Terror – Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog) Air Force … Continue reading“3:31 PM 12/1/2017 – Criminologists Are Asking Jeff Sessions To Release FBI Crime Data … – FiveThirtyEight”

Robert Mueller is a bloodhound on the trail: Donald Trump should be very worried after Michael Flynn’s guilty plea – New York Daily News

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ mueller – Google News.


New York Daily News
RobertĀ MuellerĀ is a bloodhound on the trail: Donald Trump should be very worried after Michael Flynn’s guilty plea
New York Daily News
It seems we now know the reason the President has been unhinged these past few days. In his insecure and troubled mind, his worst fears have come to pass. Mike Flynn has turned state’s evidence. It should come as no surprise. The warning signs haveĀ …
and moreĀ Ā»
Mueller’s swift moves signal mounting legal peril for the White House – Washington Post

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ mueller – Google News.


Washington Post
Mueller’sĀ swift moves signal mounting legal peril for the White House
Washington Post
After six months of work, special counsel Robert S.Ā MuellerĀ III has indicted two advisers to President Trump and accepted guilty pleas from two others in exchange for their cooperation with his probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election a sign…
Trump keeps playing nice withĀ Mueller, for nowPolitico
The Russia Investigations: After Flynn Plea Deal, Where DoesĀ MuellerĀ Aim Next?NPR
Is It Too Late for RobertĀ MuellerĀ to Save Us?Slate Magazine
National ReviewĀ –Newsweek
all 2,647 news articlesĀ Ā»
Grassley suggests deputy FBI director may have violated Hatch Act – The Hill

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Andrew McCabe – Google News.


The Hill
Grassley suggests deputy FBI director may have violated Hatch Act
The Hill
“However, the e-mail communications released by the FBI show that Mr.Ā McCabeĀ did precisely that during his wife’s Virginia Senate campaign,” Grassley wrote. “For instance, in an August 19, 2015, e-mail from his FBI e-mail account to an undisclosed…
Lying to FBI Is Illegal; How About the FBI Lying to Us? – Townhall

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ fbi – Google News.


Townhall
Lying toĀ FBIĀ Is Illegal; How About theĀ FBIĀ Lying to Us?
Townhall
While the liberal media is celebrating the announcement that former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to theĀ FBI, a bigger scandal was practically ignored. On Thursday, Judicial Watch released 29 pages ofFBIĀ …
Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting report triggered FBI hunt for leaker …Fox News
Loretta Lynch Meeting With Clinton Sparked FB | The Daily CallerThe Daily Caller
all 11 news articlesĀ Ā»
The Orthodox Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel and their leadership groups are deeply infiltratedĀ by Putins agents. These matters are serious, and they have to be properly investigated and addressed. M.N.Ā  12.2.17

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ FBI News Review.

The Orthodox Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel and their leadership groups are deeply infiltratedĀ by Putin’s agents. These matters are serious, and they have to be properly investigated and addressed.Ā  The KGB (which always had a strong ā€œzhidovskiyā€ element in it, and it always showed) extended their ugly stinking tentacles in the form and … Continue reading“The Orthodox Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel and their leadership groups are deeply infiltratedĀ by Putin’s agents. These matters are serious, and they have to be properly investigated and addressed. – M.N. – 12.2.17Ā “

Lying to FBI Is Illegal; How About the FBI Lying to Us?

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ FBI News Review.

Mike Novas Shared NewsLinks Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks Lying to FBI Is Illegal; How About the FBI Lying to Us? GUEST EDITORIAL: Rise in hate crimes is disturbing | Editorial Whats behind the Russian presidents close relationship with an Orthodox Jewish sect? The Happy-Go-Lucky Jewish Group That Connects Trump and Putin ABC Corrects Explosive Flynn … Continue reading“Lying to FBI Is Illegal; How About the FBI Lying to Us?”

8:57 AM 12/2/2017

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ FBI News Review.

FBI from mikenova (4 sites) FBI News Review: The Orthodox Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel and their leadership groups are deeply infiltratedĀ by Putins agents. These matters are serious, and they have to be properly investigated and addressed. M.N.Ā  12.2.17 1. FBI from mikenova (15 sites): james b. comey – Google News: GUEST EDITORIAL: … Continue reading“8:57 AM 12/2/2017”

Trump attacks media in his first post-Thanksgiving tweet

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Post Politics.

Trump attacks media in his first post-Thanksgiving tweet

President Trump returned from the Thanksgiving holiday with another attack on one of his favorite targets the news media suggesting Monday morning on Twitter a contest to determine which television network deserves a fake news trophy. Taking special aim at CNN, and carving out an exception for Fox News, which often provides flattering […]

Trump touts benefits of tax cuts for the people that like me best

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Post Politics.

Trump touts benefits of tax cuts for 'the people that like me best'

ST. CHARLES, Mo. With a critical Senate vote looming, President Trump on Wednesday pitched the Republican tax plan as a boon to his working-class supporters, even as independent analyses have indicated that the wealthy and corporations would be the biggest beneficiaries. Our focus is on helping the folks who work in the mail rooms […]

Is Trump reshaping an entire branch of government the judiciary?

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Post Politics.

Is Trump reshaping an entire branch of government  the judiciary?

Heres a story you likely heard a bit about this week: The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray, stepped down. To replace him, Cordray himself promoted his chief of staff, Leandra English, to become deputy director and serve as acting director until the Senate confirmed a replacement. Meanwhile, President Trump proposed his […]

Will Obama Be Questioned About Trump and Michael Flynn in the Russia Investigation? – Newsweek

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ trump and intelligence community – Google News.


Newsweek
Will Obama Be Questioned AboutĀ TrumpĀ and Michael Flynn in the Russia Investigation?
Newsweek
Why isĀ TrumpĀ trying to protect Flynn, saying ‘he’s a good guy,’ after all these peoplethe former president, Sally Yateswarned him? Others doubt Obama will be asked to speak up in the Mueller investigation. OnceĀ TrumpĀ became the RepublicanĀ …
Mueller has arrested 4 ex-TrumpĀ advisers in 6 months, signaling peril ahead for White HouseChicago Tribune
Trump’sĀ favorite general: Michael Flynn’s rise and fallThe News Tribune
Michael Flynn is now cooperating with Mueller and could fuel the obstruction case againstĀ TrumpBusiness Insider
The Nation.Ā –Los Angeles TimesĀ –Bloomberg
all 2,667 news articlesĀ Ā»
Flynn’s plea is bad for Trump. But he may never face any consequences.

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ .

Former National Security Adviser Lt. General Michael Flynn’s FridayĀ guilty pleaĀ to making false statements to the FBI about his conversations before President Donald Trump’s inauguration— reportedly a deal in exchange for his cooperation with the investigation of retired FBI director Robert Mueller — is bad news for Trump.
It shouldn’t be surprisingly bad news: After all, Trump didn’t allegedlyĀ pressureĀ former FBI director James Comey to drop the investigation into Flynn, nor then fire Comey when he refused because he thought that Flynn hadn’t done anything that would implicate Trump and/or his close associates.
But it shows that Mueller is leading a serious, meticulous investigation that is carefully being built from the ground up, like an organized crime investigation, which won’t be easy for Trump to derail. Flynn would not have been offered a plea on a relatively minor charge if Mueller didn’t think he had information that was valuable to his investigation.
The facts to which Flynn agreed in his plea are in themselves very damning to Trump: Most critically, FlynnĀ has acknowledgedĀ that at least one his conversations with Kislyak took place at the direction of a ā€œvery seniorā€ official on Trump’s transition team — reportedly,Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — who asked Flynn to ask Kislyak to oppose or delay a United Nations Security Council resolution declaring Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal.
So not only is Kushner also now inĀ substantialĀ legal jeopardy, but this latest revelation brings the personal ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government not only into Trump’s closest political circles, but into his family.
Worse yet is, according toĀ a reportĀ from ABC News, that Flynn is prepared to testify that Trump asked him to speak with representatives of the Russian government during the campaign. That would suggest significant ties between the campaign and a state that wasĀ almost certainlyĀ intervening in the election in favor of Trump.

Flynn would not have been offered a plea on a relatively minor charge if Mueller didn’t think he had information that was valuable.

Still, it’s impossible to know at this point precisely where Mueller’s investigation will lead. Flynn may well have information that isĀ seriously damagingĀ for senior advisers besides Kushner — like Donald Trump Jr. who, during the campaign,Ā met withĀ a Russian lawyer who claimed to have information from the Russian government that was damaging to Hillary Clinton.
But everyone implicated by Flynn would become someone else with incentives to provide further information. It’s entirely possible that this chain of testimony could lead all the way to the president himself; at a minimum, some of his closest advisers are very likely to be implicated
This doesn’t guarantee, of course, that Flynn or any other Trump associate will end up in jail or that Mueller’s investigation will fully play out. Trump has two formidable weapons he can still use. The first is a plenary power to pardon people for federal offenses, including preemptively. If the investigation gets too close, Trump could simply pardon Flynn, Kushner, his sons and anyone else Mueller’s investigation might implicate.

Because of the care Mueller is evidently taking with his investigation, however, Trump might not be able to escape trouble so easily.

And, should Mueller’s investigation continue to accumulate damning information, Trump could also have it shut down. If Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — who is ultimately in charge of the Mueller investigation because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself over his own meetings with Russian officials — refused to shut down Mueller’s investigation, Trump could fire him and find someone in the Justice Department who would.
Because of the care Mueller is evidently taking with his investigation, however, Trump might not be able to escape trouble so easily. Trump’s pardon power doesn’t extend to state crimes, and Mueller’s investigation may well uncover illegal activity (including money laundering) that is illegal under New York as well as federal law. Were Trump to shut down Mueller’s federal investigation, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman would likely be particularly inclined to be aggressive in investigating violations of state law by Trump and his associates — and Mueller is certainly aware of this.
Still, if Trump issues blanket pardons or terminates Mueller’s investigation, the short-term remedies at the federal level might be limited. It is clear that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will not seriously investigate Trump, let alone impeach and convict him, as long as he will advance their agenda.
Ultimately, payback for Trump’s actions may have to be at theĀ ballot boxĀ next November, and then in 2020.
Scott Lemieux is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington. He is the co-author ofĀ Judicial Review and Democratic TheoryĀ and contributes regularly to The Week, Reuters and the New Republic.

Flynn’s plea is bad for Trump. But he may never face any consequences. – NBCNews.com

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ trump under federal investigation – Google News.


NBCNews.com
Flynn’s plea is bad forĀ Trump. But he may never face any consequences.
NBCNews.com
Because of the care Mueller is evidently taking with hisĀ investigation, however,Ā TrumpĀ might not be able to escape trouble so easily.Ā Trump’sĀ pardon power doesn’t extend to state crimes, and Mueller’sĀ investigationĀ may well uncover illegal activityĀ …
Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea Sends DonaldĀ Trump’sĀ Lawyers ScramblingThe New Yorker
The four people charged so far in RussiaĀ investigationUSA TODAY
DidĀ TrumpĀ team plan to reward Russians for election meddling?CNN
Chicago TribuneĀ –Washington PostĀ –Slate Magazine
all 2,647 news articlesĀ Ā»
What Flynn’s guilty plea means for Trump and the GOP – NBCNews.com

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ trump and republican party – Google News.


NBCNews.com
What Flynn’s guilty plea means forĀ TrumpĀ and theĀ GOP
NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON It’s going to get harder for President DonaldĀ TrumpĀ to distance himself politically from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe after Michael Flynn’s guilty plea and that could be bad news for his fellowĀ RepublicansĀ at the pollsĀ …
GOPĀ races to pass tax plan as Russia probe threatens to take downĀ TrumpĀ administrationCNBC
all 2,633 news articlesĀ Ā»
Michael Flynn Knew the FBI Had Heard His Calls with Russians. So Why Did He Lie About Them? – Daily Beast

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Russian Intelligence services – Google News.


Daily Beast
Michael Flynn Knew the FBI Had Heard His Calls with Russians. So Why Did He Lie About Them?
Daily Beast
For example, the FBI has conducted extensive physical and electronic surveillance of the defendants including the covert placement of microphone-type listening devices in certain locations; the covert placement of video cameras in public locations…
Here’s what Mike Flynn lied to the FBI aboutVICE News
Mike Flynn, Trump and Mar-a-Lago: A timeline on path to guilty pleaPalm Beach Post
RussianĀ investigation reaches White Housetheday.com
Slate Magazine (blog)Ā –NBC Montana
all 2,518 news articlesĀ Ā»
Mike Flynn – Google News: ‘Something was desperately wrong with this guy’: US Army lieutenant general who served with Mike Flynn weighs in on … – Business Insider

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ 1. Trump Investigation – Mike Flynn from mikenova (9 sites).


Business Insider
‘Something was desperately wrong with this guy’: US Army lieutenant general who served withĀ Mike Flynnweighs in on …
Business Insider
A retired US Army lieutenant general weighed in onĀ Michael Flynn’sĀ guilty plea in the ongoing Russia investigation. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who served with Flynn in the US Army, said he believes the former national security adviser’s downfall was the…
and moreĀ Ā»

Ā Mike Flynn – Google News

The details of Michael Flynns plea deal with Robert Mueller are nothing short of brutal

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Palmer Report.

Just how hard of a bargain does Robert Mueller drive? He handed what initially appeared to be a sweetheart deal to Michael Flynn, and in exchange Flynn agreed to provide evidence to incriminate Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and other key players in the Trump-Russia scandal. But the details of that plea deal are now surfacing, and what’s stunning is just how little Mueller ended up giving Flynn when it comes down to it. This is nothing short of brutal.
Legal experts dissected the Flynn plea deal during Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show on Friday night, and I’ll spare you the legalese and boil it down to three points for you. First: Flynn’s deal only grants him leniency on the charge of lying to the FBI. If Mueller doesn’t end up liking what he sees going forward, he can still charge Flynn with other crimes. Second: Mueller now officially owns Flynn. He can make him wear a wire, or dress up like a chicken. The third bullet point is the most astounding one.
There is nothing in the plea deal which formally protects Michael Flynn Jr. By now we all know that Michael Flynn cut the deal in order to protect his son. But even that’s not guaranteed. If Mueller doesn’t like how things are going, he can go back and charge Junior with various crimes at any point. This motivates Flynn to work as hard as he possibly can to help take down the likes of Trump and Kushner, because his son is still far from officially being in the clear.
This deal offers the clearest insight yet into just how brutally effective Robert Mueller can be with his wheeling and dealing. It’s not that he’s trying to torture Michael Flynn. It’s that he wants to keep Flynn motivated to continue cooperating as emphatically as possible. It also means no one else in the Trump-Russia scandal is getting free lunch if they seek a plea deal of their own.
The postĀ The details of Michael Flynn’s plea deal with Robert Mueller are nothing short of brutalappeared first onĀ Palmer Report.

Michael Flynn may have just incriminated Tom Cotton, Donald Trumps new CIA Director pick, in Russia scandal

mikenovaĀ shared this storyĀ fromĀ Palmer Report.

Earlier this week, just as it was becoming clear that Michael Flynn was about to cut a devastating plea deal against Donald Trump and other big fish in the Russia scandal, Trump began pushing a weird sideshow story. He suddenly wants to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after months of hemming and hawing about it, as part of a series of moves that would elevate Senator Tom Cotton to CIA Director. Now that Flynn’s deal is official, it reveals that Cotton may have been part of the Trump-Russia conspiracy all along.
Let’s emphasize the word ā€œmayā€ here. Perhaps this is all one massive coincidence. Perhaps Trump really does just happen to be looking to give Cotton a coveted promotion, just as Michael Flynn seems to be pointing the finger at Cotton. But if this is a coincidence, it’s a remarkable one. Flynn is confessing that while he was conspiring with the Russian Ambassador to sabotage President Obama’s Russian sanctions, he was relaying that conversation to the Trump national security transition team. Guess who was on that team? Tom Cotton.
We may have to wait a bit to see whether Flynn is referring toĀ everyoneĀ on the Trump national security transition team, or just some of its members. But if Flynn is referring to the entire team, then he’s accusing Tom Cotton of having known about the Trump-Russia conspiracy since at least December. If Cotton knew about that felony conspiracy and failed to report it, he would be guilty of a felony himself, and Trump could be offering him a promotion in the hope of buying his continued silence.
Again, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. We can’t assume Tom Cotton is guilty of anything. But if Michael Flynn really did just implicate Cotton in the Trump-Russa conspiracy, it would very conveniently explain why Donald Trump is trying to buy Cotton’s silence by giving him a promotion, However, if Cotton was looking to disappear into the recesses of the CIA before he could become a suspect in the Trump-Russia scandal, Trump may have blown it by taking this step far too late in the game. Trump should have made the move months ago. Now it may be too late.
The postĀ Michael Flynn may have just incriminated Tom Cotton, Donald Trump’s new CIA Director pick, in Russia scandalĀ appeared first onĀ Palmer Report.