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Retired judge calls effort to drop case against ex-Trump adviser 'gross abuse' of power
Reuters ^ | June 10, 2020 | Sarah N. Lynch and Jan Wolfe

Posted on 06/10/2020 10:28:11 AM PDT by Rennes Templar

WASHINGTON — A retired judge on Wednesday urged a federal court not to allow the Justice Department to dismiss its criminal case against President Donald Trump's former adviser Michael Flynn, citing evidence of a "gross abuse of prosecutorial power."

The U.S. district judge hearing the case, Emmet Sullivan, last month tapped John Gleeson to serve as a "friend of the court," after the Justice Department abruptly asked the court to dismiss the criminal charge against Flynn, a former national security adviser.

The stunning move by the Justice Department followed a pressure campaign by Trump and his conservative allies and came even though Flynn had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with former Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Gleeson was tasked with arguing against the government's motion, and Sullivan also asked him to make a recommendation on whether to hold Flynn in contempt for perjury.

"The government has engaged in highly irregular conduct to benefit a political ally of the president. The facts of this case overcome the presumption of regularity," Gleeson wrote, noting that Sullivan should proceed with sentencing Flynn.

Flynn was one of several former Trump aides charged under former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He was Trump's national security adviser briefly in early 2017.

Gleeson also said there was "ample evidence in the record that Flynn committed perjury," or lying under oath. But he recommended that Sullivan take Flynn's perjury into account when sentencing him for lying to the FBI, rather than commencing a follow-on prosecution.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: flynn; flynnissafe; flynntweet; gleeson; johngleeson; kabukitheater; michaelflynn; mikeflynn; patriotsincontrol; reuters; trusttheplan
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To: Rennes Templar
John Gleeson is the retired judge. He served as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Sullivan appointed Gleeson to oppose the Justice Department's effort to drop it.

21 posted on 06/10/2020 10:41:42 AM PDT by kabar
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I heard from a good source that Mitt Romney hasn’t paid his taxes in ten years. ....later when asked, Harry Reid said, “It worked didn’t it?”.

Rat bastards like this author need to borrow Harry Reid’s exercise equipment. ... Multiple times.


22 posted on 06/10/2020 10:44:04 AM PDT by redshawk ( I want my red balloon. ( https://youtu.be/V12H2mteniE))
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To: Rennes Templar

He is a New Yorker appointed by Bill Clinton.

His opinion is completely invalid.


23 posted on 06/10/2020 10:45:15 AM PDT by rlmorel ("Truth is Treason in the Empire of Lies"- George Orwell)
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To: JoSixChip; gcparent
Oral arguments June 12Th.

Yes. I believe it goes like this:

Defense -- Flynn's attorney speaks for 15 minutes explaining how her client was railroaded by the DOJ.
Prosecution -- DOJ speaks for 15 minutes and explains that they dropped the case and realize they tried to railroad Flynn.
Judge -- Sullivan speaks for 15 minutes and explains why railroading Flynn is the right thing to do.

24 posted on 06/10/2020 10:45:16 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (If White Privilege is real, why did Elizabeth Warren lie about being an Indian?)
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To: Rennes Templar

American Soviet style system in 2020.


25 posted on 06/10/2020 10:48:28 AM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: Rennes Templar

Gleeson is a total hack.


26 posted on 06/10/2020 10:49:03 AM PDT by Fido969 (In!)
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To: Rennes Templar

The case itself is a gross abuse of power. Duh.


27 posted on 06/10/2020 10:50:08 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The political war playing out in every country now: Globalists vs Nationalists)
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To: Rennes Templar

There are some unreported problems with the plea that this judge points out. When entering a guilty plea in Federal Ct. the party/defendant is sworn and then under oath admits guilt along with facts that support the plea of guilty. Flynn, under oath and with facts, admitted guilt. You are also asked if anyone or anything coerced this plea. Flynn said no. As I state this, please be aware that it is difficult to change a guilty plea. There were obvious shenanigans in this court. Shouldn’t the court get down to the reasons? The gov just asking for it to go away is not always sufficient.


28 posted on 06/10/2020 10:50:21 AM PDT by Oystir
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The three primary debate weapons of the left:
1. ad-hominem attack.
2. Deflection
3. Projection.

I see it constantly in forums that have a lot of leftist members. I also see it in virus threads here from the Karens on the site.


29 posted on 06/10/2020 10:51:24 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The political war playing out in every country now: Globalists vs Nationalists)
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To: jeffc

Just another example of worthless Judges abusing their power....sorry ass rats.....Flynn did nothing.


30 posted on 06/10/2020 10:51:27 AM PDT by mastertex
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To: Rennes Templar

Sullivan knew what Gleeson would write in advance. A “friend of the court” indeed.


31 posted on 06/10/2020 10:56:34 AM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Rennes Templar

**Flynn’s false testimony about whether he was guilty “derailed the proceedings” and “reflected brazen gamesmanship challenging the integrity of the judicial system,” Gleeson said.**

What “proceedings” did Flynn “derail”? The FBI had dropped the case against any Flynn wrongdoing. There was no case to obstruct.

An incoming NSA has a right and a duty to discuss upcoming relationships with foreign diplomats, and the FBI has no right to investigate any such conversation.


32 posted on 06/10/2020 10:57:25 AM PDT by nagant
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To: Rennes Templar

Bud, you are a worthless, lying POS.


33 posted on 06/10/2020 10:57:30 AM PDT by alstewartfan (One day he just washed up on the shores of his regrets. May his soul rest in peace. Al S.)
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To: gcparent

[[What is happening with Flynn.]]

He was arrested and is facing 20 years behind bars for violating social distancing rules within the prison system- even though they released all the violent prisoners back out into society for fear they might catch covid

j/k haven’t heard much abotu him lately-


34 posted on 06/10/2020 10:57:50 AM PDT by Bob434
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To: mastertex
john gleeson qualifies for today's "King of Nitwits" award. The original charge and trial were gross miscarriages of justice. Likely they were criminal.
35 posted on 06/10/2020 10:59:37 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp???)
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To: Rennes Templar

Unreported is that the judge was picked by Sullivan to defend him because Sullivan (overseeing the case) refused to defend himself.

The accused wanted to change his plea but was refused by Sullivan.
The prosecution has since dropped the case.
Sullivan STILL wants to try the case based upon the original plea agreement AND add additional charges.
and THIS, so called, judge says he should because no government agency ever dropped a prosecution before for political reasons! (Prop 8)

BS and further proves that this is a political witch hunt.


36 posted on 06/10/2020 11:06:59 AM PDT by Skywise
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To: Oystir
There are some unreported problems with the plea that this judge points out. When entering a guilty plea in Federal Ct. the party/defendant is sworn and then under oath admits guilt along with facts that support the plea of guilty. Flynn, under oath and with facts, admitted guilt. You are also asked if anyone or anything coerced this plea. Flynn said no.

Yet, the record shows it was coerced. It was the subject of a side agreement, which is prohibited. At minimum, his former attorneys committed a fraud upon the court, as did Mueller's prosecutor...who also certified to the Court there were no side agreements...IE, if Flynn pled guilty, his son wouldn't be pursued. The original trial judge was removed, provably because of bias.

This 'guilty plea' is going nowhere; just a question of how high it goes before it's stomped out. Because of his indifference to these facts, Sullivan is displaying incompetence or bias. Which do you think it is?

37 posted on 06/10/2020 11:13:58 AM PDT by gogeo (It isn't just time to open America up again: It's time to be America again.)
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To: gcparent

We Must Dedicate Ourselves to “Freedom’s Victory over the Socialist Monster”
twitter ^ | 05 June 2020 | Michael T. Flynn LT. Gen. (R), U. S. Army
Posted on 6/5/2020, 12:58:43 PM by Steely eyed killer of the deep
General Flynn Releases Important Message, Signals He Is Ready to Get Back into the Fight
(Excerpt) Read more at twitter.com ...


38 posted on 06/10/2020 11:21:24 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
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To: Oystir
The gov just asking for it to go away is not always sufficient.

Actually it is. There is ample case law on that topic and it all supports the unfettered right of the government to end the case at any time they want to.

The federal courts lack the ability to compel the executive branch to litigate any particular matter.

Perjury as an offense also requires charging and prosecution by the executive branch, not the courts by themselves.

Judge Sullivan has tried to argue that he can charge Mr. Flynn with contempt, but the DOJ has briefed against that position, and it makes sense. Were Judge Sullivan to in effect charge Mr. Flynn with perjury then he can no longer rule on the case since he has become the prosecuting party.

39 posted on 06/10/2020 11:24:46 AM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: Rennes Templar

If indeed this is the appointed friend of the court then why isn’t this judge under the same gag order as Flynn and his attorney?


40 posted on 06/10/2020 11:28:51 AM PDT by pghkevin (Where have the principles of the founding fathers gone?)
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