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These systematic abuses of policy, procedure, and ethical treatment of witnesses are going to have a chilling effect regarding any future voluntary cooperation with investigations of any sort.

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There was a time that Congress would act in a bipartisan manner to rein in the out of control FBI, like they did the CIA back in the Church Hearings.

The FISA stuff alone would have had Congress Critters howling for reform. Now, it's just a yawn from them because it was Trump and his associates who were being harassed. If it were Obama, they would be screaming bloody murder.

How many people are going to start lawyering up when the FBI calls them to ask questions regarding some else's application for secret clearance?

Turley noticed the revelation by Steele in the latter's court testimony. This might become a big deal, although the MSM will surely suppress it.

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.....The Washington Times reported that Steele stated in a declaration in a defamation case that the law firm Perkins Coie wanted to be able to challenge the results of the election based on the dossier......

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MouthBQ98 said:

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How many people are going to start lawyering up when the FBI calls them to ask questions regarding some else's application for secret clearance?

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When I worked in Albuquerque, I had several friends who worked at Sandia National Labs and Los Alamos. I was interviewed for other's security clearances quite often, at least a dozen times over the course of five or so years.

Never entered my mind that I should have another lawyer present.

Now there was one time that one of the senior partners sent me to sit in on a client's interview with the FBI but that was because her soon-to-be ex-husband was being investigated for postal theft while he was in the Department of Education. She wasn't exactly in real legal jeopardy but she could have been if she knew about it. Hence, my presence and the agents had absolutely no issue with my being there.

(In a small world moment, several years later I was living in Austin and had a roommate who started dating this guy who was an associate dean of education at tu. He was the ex-husband. He was none too pleased to find out I had represented his ex-wife and the context of my representation. "Oh! You are that guy? Wasn't the FBI after you for theft a few years back?" )

interesting question

Seems like Sullivan is trying to give Flynn every out, but he knows what will happen if he takes it.

This seems confusing to me. The judge seems to be really asking Flynn if he wants to change his plea. And yet Flynn keeps saying he wants to proceed. The Judge seems to want Flynn to back out.

Have to wonder how much that indictment of his business associates yesterday affected his decision?

will25u said:

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This seems confusing to me. The judge seems to be really asking Flynn if he wants to change his plea. And yet Flynn keeps saying he wants to proceed. The Judge seems to want Flynn to back out.

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Yeah it seems really weird. Like the judge thinks, "I see no crime here, why are you taking a dive?"

I probably need to dust up on my federal criminal practice and procedure law. Perhaps Flynn insists on going forward because there is some law/rule/judicial ethics canon that will require him to take matters into his own hands?

Flynn knows he has more to lose by not following through on his guilty plea than by fighting it, at this point. Most of the damage has already been done. Contesting it now would only add to it. Process is punishment.

Don't they have some leverage on his son or something? i.e. he's pleading and not resisting becuase eve nthough he is innocent, he doesn't want this to spill over onto others?

Sullivan just called it a very serious offense, so he clearly thinks a crime was committed.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Flynn knows he has more to lose by not following through on his guilty plea than by fighting it, at this point. Most of the damage has already been done. Contesting it now would only add to it. Process is punishment.

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blindey said:

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will25u said:

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This seems confusing to me. The judge seems to be really asking Flynn if he wants to change his plea. And yet Flynn keeps saying he wants to proceed. The Judge seems to want Flynn to back out.

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Yeah it seems really weird. Like the judge thinks, "I see no crime here, why are you taking a dive?"

I probably need to dust up on my federal criminal practice and procedure law. Perhaps Flynn insists on going forward because there is some law/rule/judicial ethics canon that will require him to take matters into his own hands?

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I think that if Flynn is not the one who wants out of the plea deal but the judge throws it out anyway, the deal remains in effect precluding Team Mueller from further action??

Is that it?

SpreadsheetAg said:

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Don't they have some leverage on his son or something?

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Or something. I imagine that if he goes through with his plea and its the judge who declines to accept it, Mueller's flunkys lose their leverage because he did everything that they wanted him to do.

aggiehawg said:

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blindey said:

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will25u said:

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This seems confusing to me. The judge seems to be really asking Flynn if he wants to change his plea. And yet Flynn keeps saying he wants to proceed. The Judge seems to want Flynn to back out.

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Yeah it seems really weird. Like the judge thinks, "I see no crime here, why are you taking a dive?"

I probably need to dust up on my federal criminal practice and procedure law. Perhaps Flynn insists on going forward because there is some law/rule/judicial ethics canon that will require him to take matters into his own hands?

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I think that if Flynn is not the one who wants out of the plea deal but the judge throws it out anyway, the deal remains in effect precluding Team Mueller from further action??

Is that it?

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That is what I'm curious about. I don't know anything about that area of law, but it would make an interesting turn of events.

blindey said:

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SpreadsheetAg said:

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Don't they have some leverage on his son or something?

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Or something. I imagine that if he goes through with his plea and its the judge who declines to accept it, Mueller's flunkys lose their leverage because he did everything that they wanted him to do.

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That's my take... Flynn has to keep his end of the bargain - like some bad court drama movie. The pinch here is that if Sullivan doesn't accept his plea, does the Muelstapo team take that as Flynn "not being convincing enough"...

I saw this exact same thing when a family member was facing a felony trial.

The entire case was trash and the judge kept asking over and over if she wanted to withdraw her plea bargain. Her lawyer kept telling her to do it because the judge was going to toss the case as soon as she said she wanted to go to trial, but she was terrified because the DA promised to send her to prison for life. (A totally empty threat and everyone knew it.) In the end she took the plea.

Flynn knows if he takes what Sullivan is offering, Mule Head will file FARA and FCPA charges against him and his son before the day is over. This is why they announced the charges against his former associates. Nothing but Mule Head intimidation.

If anyone wants to watch the "After Party"...

Turkey. Not Russia?

But he's a hero!