Byron York: Comey Told Congress That FBI Determined that Michael Flynn Did Not Lie In Interviews, But DOJ Senior Officials Had a Particular Desire to Find Him Guilty of Something

You don't say.

According to two sources familiar with the meetings, Comey told lawmakers that the FBI agents who interviewed Flynn did not believe that Flynn had lied to them, or that any inaccuracies in his answers were intentional. As a result, some of those in attendance came away with the impression that Flynn would not be charged with a crime pertaining to the Jan. 24 interview.

Nine months later, with Comey gone and special counsel Robert Mueller in charge of the Trump-Russia investigation, Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI in that Jan. 24 questioning.

...

[I]t appears the FBI did not think Flynn had done anything wrong in the [calls to Russian FM Kislyak]. On Jan. 23, the Washington Post reported that the FBI had reviewed the Flynn-Kislyak calls and "has not found any evidence of wrongdoing or illicit ties to the Russian government." (The calls had been intercepted by U.S. intelligence because the U.S. monitored the Russian ambassador's communications — something which Flynn, a former chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency, surely knew.)

Still, Flynn's conversation had the attention of the Obama Justice Department, and in particular of deputy attorney general Sally Yates, who reportedly believed Flynn might have violated the Logan Act, a 218 year-old law under which no one had ever been successfully prosecuted. (Two people were charged in the 19th century, but the cases were dropped.)

Byron York notes what immediately occurred to me-- around this time, reporters friendly to Obama began talking up the LOGAN ACT and how it's Totally a Serious Law You Guys.

Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

It was Yates who sent the FBI agents to interview Flynn, on the bizarre theory that he might have violated the LOGAN ACT (which is not enforced because you cannot make it illegal to talk to foreigners, and which only even gets discussed as a law when used against Republicans -- Democrats can chat up foreign potentates and enemy leaders all the doo-dah day) and on the bizarre theory that he might be blackmailable.

On those thin reeds, Yates built her case against Flynn.

Oh, and Yates was at that January 5 meeting. Coincidentally enough.

Could it be that that January 5 meeting was to coordinate what the Obama loyalists who would continue in their jobs after the inauguration should be doing to further the coup?

posted by Ace at 01:38 PM

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