The Justice Department on Thursday dropped its case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, in a stunning development that comes after internal memos were released raising serious questions about the nature of the investigation that led to Flynn’s late 2017 guilty plea of lying to the FBI, Fox News reported.
General Flynn had pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017, to making false statements to the FBI during an interview on Jan. 24, 2017.
The announcement came in a court filing, with the department saying it is dropping the case “after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case, including newly discovered and disclosed information.”
The retired Army lieutenant general for months has been trying to withdraw his plea, aided by a new attorney who has aggressively challenged the prosecution’s case and conduct.
Documents unsealed a week ago by the Justice Department revealed FBI agents discussed their motivations for interviewing Flynn in the Russia probe– questioning whether they wanted to“get him to lie” so he’d be fired or prosecuted, or get him to admit wrongdoing. “What is our goal?” one of the notes read. “Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?”
On Thursday, the top prosecutor on the case, Brandon Van Grack, abruptly withdrew from the case, without explanation, in a brief filing with the court. Continued Below
Van Grack has been under scrutiny for claiming to a federal court that he had turned over all relevant exculpatory informing involving Flynn — even though a slew of “exculpatory” documents surfaced last week, Fox News reported.
It's not just the Flynn case.
Van Grack is withdrawing as counsel for the Govt in other cases as well.
I wouldn't be surprised if that's it for Van Grack at the DOJ. pic.twitter.com/tfBIrw8rxT
— Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) May 7, 2020
Fox News reports:
The case has come at an enormous cost for the retired three-star Army lieutenant general and his family, as he racked up millions of dollars in legal bills, was forced to sell his house, lost his job, and saw his reputation sullied, per Fox News.
Attorney Sidney Powell told Fox News last week that Flynn paid his first law firm, Covington & Burling, approximately $3.5 million. It is unclear the total amount of Flynn’s legal bills, but reports suggested last year that he had more than $4.6 million in unpaid legal bills at that time.
Michael Flynn’s brother, Joseph Flynn, tweeted a link to support the General:
— Joseph J Flynn (@JosephJFlynn1) May 7, 2020
