The U.S. Department of Justice asked a judge on Thursday May 7 to drop criminal charges against Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's former national security adviser. The ministry said the investigation against him had "no legitimate basis" and that his statements "even if they were false were unimportant", according to court documents.
Michael Flynn, a retired former lieutenant general, has initiated proceedings to withdraw his conviction in which he admitted in 2017 that he lied to the FBI about exchanges with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, in the weeks before the current president takes office. Lies that had raised questions about the sensitive issue of Donald Trump's relations with Moscow.
The former security adviser, who has since changed lawyers and defense strategy, now claims that prosecutors violated his rights and led him to sign a plea bargain agreement. He then requested the cancellation of the procedure, presenting himself as a victim of manipulation.
His lawyers had recently filed notes with an FBI official advising investigators on how to conduct the interview with General Flynn. "What is your goal? To admit the truth or to make it lie so that we can prosecute him or push him to resign?" Wrote the unidentified agent. Police experts say this is a classic strategy for dealing with a suspect, but Michael Flynn's defenders saw it as evidence of a set-up.
Seeming to give in to increasing pressure from the most conservative wing of the President's political allies, the Justice Department made a request to Judge Emmet Sullivan, in charge of the case, to drops the charges against Michael Flynn. Sullivan J. must now rule on this motion.
"A travesty of justice"
This sudden flip-flop of the Justice Department, now headed by William Barr, a follower of Donald Trump may again attract criticism from critics of the president.
Reacting to this Justice Department decision, Donald Trump said he was very happy for Flynn. He "was innocent," he told reporters from the White House. "He was targeted just to try to bring me down." The New York billionaire has always believed that the investigation into suspicions of collusion between Moscow and his campaign team during the 2016 presidential election was a "witch hunt" orchestrated by his opponents.
Several voices were immediately raised, especially in the Democratic ranks, to condemn a "travesty of justice". Withdrawal of charges "does not whitewash" Michael Flynn, but "incriminates Bill Barr: the Department of Justice has never been so politicized," tweeted Democrat politician Adam Schiff, who chairs the intelligence commission of representatives room.
Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his illicit Russian contacts.
His lies do not now become truths.
This dismissal does not exonerate him.
But it does incriminate Bill Barr.
In the worst politicization of the Justice Department in its history.
"The Department of Justice is on the wrong track," said former FBI director James Comey, urging FBI agents not to leave the ship.
With Reuters and AFP
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