Byron York: An unusual turn in the Michael Flynn case?

[mystery-ak]

Byron York: An unusual turn in the Michael Flynn case?
by Byron York | Feb 15, 2018, 11:05 PM

Observers are buzzing about a series of events in the last 60 days in the case of Michael Flynn, the Trump national security adviser who on Dec. 1 pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI in the Trump-Russia investigation. The new developments might add up to very little or they might be significant. In any event, they are raising eyebrows.

First, there is some mystery surrounding the removal of Judge Rudolph Contreras from the case. Just days after accepting Flynn's guilty plea, Contreras was taken off the case by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. No reason was given.

Of potentially more interest is Contreras' replacement, Judge Emmet Sullivan. Sullivan is well known in legal circles for having been the judge in the case of Ted Stevens, the Republican senator from Alaska who was prosecuted for corruption by the George W. Bush Justice Department. Stevens was convicted in October 2008, causing him to lose his bid for re-election the next month. But it later came to light that the Justice Department had improperly withheld exculpatory evidence. In April 2009, Eric Holder, the Obama attorney general who inherited the mess, dropped the case.

more
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/byron-york-an-unusual-turn-in-the-michael-flynn-case/article/2649272

[skeeter]

While the move could be simply standard procedure for Sullivan, it was nevertheless notable because Flynn had already pleaded guilty, and, as part of that guilty plea, agreed to "forgo the right to any further discovery or disclosures of information not already provided at the time of the entry of [Flynn's] guilty plea."

"It certainly appears that Sullivan's order supersedes the plea agreement and imposes on the special counsel the obligation to reveal any and all evidence suggesting that Flynn is innocent of the charge to which he has admitted guilt," wrote National Review's Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor.

Oh boy.

So much for the theory that Mueller's delay in sentencing Flynn was likely due to Flynn giving up more goods on the Trump team.

[Sanguine]

Interesting.

[Bigun]

First, there is some mystery surrounding the removal of Judge Rudolph Contreras from the case. Just days after accepting Flynn's guilty plea, Contreras was taken off the case by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. No reason was given.

IIRC there was an article posted here some time ago that said the judge had removed himself from the case.  I'll see what I can find.

Edit to add the link to the article I referenced above.

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,303955.msg1604059.html#msg1604059

[skeeter]

IIRC there was an article posted here some time ago that said the judge had removed himself from the case.  I'll see what I can find.

Edit to add the link to the article I referenced above.

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,303955.msg1604059.html#msg1604059

Your link says he was recused, and not voluntarily. It also says he is a FISA judge.

[Bigun]

Your link says he was recused, and not voluntarily. It also says he is a FISA judge.

Yeah!  I also found this: http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,294033.msg1536848.html#msg1536848

And this: http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,171001.msg674541.html#msg674541

[skeeter]

Yeah!  I also found this: http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,294033.msg1536848.html#msg1536848

And this: http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,171001.msg674541.html#msg674541

This whole thing stinks worse every day. Even the usual TBR suspects are not bothering to gloat on it anymore.

[Bigun]

This whole thing stinks worse every day. Even the usual TBR suspects are not bothering to gloat on it anymore.

@skeeter

It stinks to high heaven and is mostly being completely ignored!  I guess we have now become so degraded and debased that we require the media to tell us what is or is not news!

[anubias]

Your link says he was recused, and not voluntarily. It also says he is a FISA judge.

There is much speculation that Contreras is the FISA judge that signed the warrant.  If so, he may be in deep kimchi when the IG report comes out.

[Bigun]

There is much speculation that Contreras is the FISA judge that signed the warrant.  If so, he may be in deep kimchi when the IG report comes out.

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,304444.msg1607631.html#msg1607631