Prosecutors tout no jail time for Flynn
Court cites ‘substantial’ cooperation
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser provided so much information to the special counsel’s Russia investigation that prosecutors say he shouldn’t do any prison time, according to a court filing that describes Michael Flynn’s cooperation as “substantial’’.
The filing by special counsel Robert Mueller provides the first details of Mr Flynn’s assistance in the Russia investigation, including that he participated in 19 interviews with prosecutors and cooperated extensively in a separate and undisclosed criminal probe. But the filing’s lengthy redactions also underscore how much Mr Mueller has yet to reveal.
It was filed on Tuesday, two weeks ahead of Mr Flynn’s sentencing and just over a year after he became one of five Trump associates to plead guilty in the Russia probe, in his case admitting to lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US.
Though prosecutors withheld specific details of Mr Flynn’s cooperation because of ongoing investigations, their filing nonetheless illustrates the breadth of information Mr Mueller has obtained from people close to Mr Trump as the president increasingly vents his anger at the probe — and those who cooperate with it.
This week, Mr Trump accused his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, of making up “stories’’ to get a reduced prison sentence after pleading guilty to lying to Congress and also praised longtime confidante Roger Stone for saying he wouldn’t testify against Mr Trump.
It’s unclear if Mr Trump will now turn his fury on Mr Flynn, whom Mr Trump bonded with during the 2016 campaign.
Mr Trump has repeatedly lamented how Mr Flynn’s life has been destroyed by the special counsel’s probe. At one point, he tried to protect Mr Flynn by asking former FBI Director James Comey to drop an investigation into his alleged false statements, according to a memo Mr Comey wrote after the February 2017 encounter.
That episode, which Mr Trump has denied, is among those under scrutiny by Mr Mueller as he probes whether the president attempted to obstruct the Russia investigation.
Federal sentencing guidelines recommend between zero and six months in prison, and Mr Mueller’s office said Mr Flynn’s cooperation merits no prison time.
Prosecutors said Mr Flynn’s early cooperation was “particularly valuable’’ because he was “one of the few people with longterm and firsthand insight’’ into the events under investigation. They noted his cooperation likely inspired other crucial witnesses to cooperate.
Mr Mueller’s team credited Mr Flynn with serving 33 years in the US Army, including five years in combat. But prosecutors also said the long military and government service that sets him apart from all other defendants in the investigation made his deception more troublesome.
“The defendant’s extensive government service should have made him particularly aware of the harm caused by providing false information to the government, as well as the rules governing work performed on behalf of a foreign government,’’ they wrote.
Mr Flynn’s case has stood apart from those of other Trump associates, who have aggressively criticised the investigation, sought to undermine it and, in some cases, been accused of lying even after agreeing to cooperate.
Mr Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, is accused of repeatedly lying to investigators since his guilty plea. Another Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, is serving a 14-day prison sentence and, though he pleaded guilty to the same crime as Mr Flynn, was denied probation because prosecutors said his cooperation was lacking.
But Mr Flynn has largely remained out of the public eye, appearing only sporadically in media interviews or campaign events, and avoided criticising the Mueller probe despite widespread encouragement from his supporters to go on the offensive. He has instead spent considerable time with his family and worked to position himself for a post-conviction career.
Another highly anticipated filing is expected tomorrow from Mr Mueller’s office, detailing the lies that prosecutors say Mr Manafort told them after his guilty plea.
In Tuesday’s filing, prosecutors emphasised that the conduct Mr Flynn lied about
cuts to the core of the investigation into any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Mr Flynn was forced to resign his post on Feb 13, 2017, after news reports revealed Obama administration officials had warned the Trump White House about Mr Flynn’s false statements.
The White House has said Mr Flynn misled officials — including Vice President Mike Pence — about the content of his conversations.