National Security!
Michael Flynn Is Owed an Apology
One year after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, there is still no evidence that he is a traitor.
Remember when Michael Flynn was a traitor? It was early 2017. Democrats were still stinging from their defeat at the hands of Donald Trump. Every day, it seemed, brought news of another contact between Trumpworld and Russia.
Flynn, a retired three-star general, was forced to resign after serving less than a month as Trump’s national security adviser. He was said to have colluded with Russians during the presidential transition. For this he was defamed as a Russian agent and mocked as a bumbling Benedict Arnold. Former officials of Barack Obama’s administration hinted that Flynn had been compromised.
As it turns out, none of this was true. On Tuesday Flynn will receive a sentence for the one count to which he has pleaded guilty, lying to the FBI. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has recommended no jail time. Flynn will have a chance to get on with his life.
So how did Washington get sucked into believing that Michael Flynn had betrayed his country? Part of it, surely, is guilt by association; the proposition that Trump wants to appease Russia — even if he has not acted on his wishes — is not far-fetched. Trump has denied that the Russians hacked Democrats and released their emails, openly contradicting the U.S. intelligence community (and, for that matter, Flynn). During his campaign Trump flattered Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has continued to do so during his presidency.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-12-18/michael-flynn-sentencing-washington-owes-him-an-apology