Judge Nearly Throws Out Case Against Former Michael Flynn Associate On Trial For Alleged Turkish Lob

[txradioguy]

A federal judge Thursday came close to throwing out charges against a former Michael Flynn business partner on trial in Virginia, saying the government had presented “very circumstantial” and “very speculative” evidence during its presentation of the case.

Speaking after prosecutors wrapped up their case against former Flynn associate Bijan Rafiekian, Judge Anthony Trenga said there were “substantial issues” with the government’s evidence, The Washington Post reported.

Rafiekian, a former executive at Flynn’s firm, Flynn Intel Group (FIG), is on trial on charges that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent of Turkey, and that he conspired to do the same. Both charges are felonies.

Prosecutors have alleged Rafiekian masked FIG’s work for the Turkish government by signing a $600,000 contract in August 2016 with a Dutch shell company called Inovo BV. As The Daily Caller News Foundation first reported Nov. 11, 2016, Inovo BV was owned by Ekim Alptekin, a Turkish businessman with links to the Turkish government.

<snip>

“The evidence is extremely weak, entirely circumstantial and based mainly on hearsay,” Rafiekian attorney James Tysse said, according to Politico. “This should end it, Your Honor,” .

Trenga seemed to agree with the thrust of the argument.

“There are very substantial issues as to the sufficiency of the evidence,” Trenga said, according to WaPo. “It’s all very, very circumstantial. Much of it is very speculative.”

https://dailycaller.com/2019/07/18/judge-criticize-case-flynn-bijan-rafiekian/

[PeteS in CA]

Another Mueller case coming apart at the seams? Or is this one of the cases his team handed off to other Federal Prosecutors?

The merits of the criminal case aside, what supposedly was done sounds pretty much identical to what Fusion GPS does, dirt gatherer-for-hire for clients foreign and domestic. How meticulous has Fusion GPS been when it comes to reporting to the Feds what foreign countries and nationals Fusion GPS is representing?