How former Trump aide can avoid being indicted
Ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn’s request that he be granted immunity before talking to Congress about the Trump campaign’s possible dealings with Russia is the smartest move he could make under the circumstances.
And the circumstances can’t be good if he’s asking to be shielded from criminal prosecution in exchange for telling what he knows.
Thankfully, in all the times I came in the crosshairs of the feds over the years, I was never in such a bad way that I had to seek complete immunity. But I’ve been a lawyer for plenty of folks who were in that spot, and here’s what I told them:
Don’t even give your name to a federal investigator unless you have immunity, let alone answer a
string of “who, what, where” questions under oath.
One misspoken word, one misplaced or “alternative” fact, and you’re facing a possible perjury charge.
But if you get immunity, they can ask you anything. Period.
As for Flynn, with the Trump administration having thrown him overboard, he just might have a lot to say.
By the way — isn’t the outrage over Russian attempts to influence the election a bit misplaced?
The Russians may have helped put the fake news out there. But they didn’t force Americans to believe it.
President Trump’s post-health-care fight with the Freedom Caucus makes it clear that the hard-right representatives haven’t forgotten the most important question in politics, no matter what the issue.
That question is, “Can I survive this?”
Not, can the president survive this? Or my party, or anyone else. Whether it’s health care, taxes, immigration or infrastructure, it’s all about that one big question.
It’s not a good sign for Trump that when it comes to siding with him, a lot of people in his own party are thinking hard about that question and saying the answer is, “No.”
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Let’s hope Hillary Clinton’s recent appearance at the Professional Women’s Business Conference in San Francisco was just a warm-up for her full-fledged return to the spotlight.
It’s time for former President Barack Obama to get back on the road
as well. He should visit every congressional district he carried in 2012 that went for Trump last year — along with other red districts in blue states — just to remind folks it was the Democrats who gave them the health care that Republicans want to take away.
He could start with Central Valley districts like the one represented by Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare. Half the population of Tulare and Fresno counties is on Medi-Cal, a lot of them thanks to Obamacare.
Traffic, traffic everywhere. Not a lane to drive through. Whether it’s getting onto the Golden Gate Bridge or the Bay Bridge, San
Francisco is the summit for traffic congestion in the Bay Area.
The buses can’t move. The taxis can’t move.
Restrictions are needed on how many private vehicles can be on the streets at certain hours, and that includes the hundreds of ride-hailing cars with drivers who don’t know one bridge from the other without a GPS tracker.
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom turned the Julia Morgan Ballroom into a gold mine the other night, hauling in more than $700,000 by my count for his 2018 run for governor.
The event had 30 cochairs and Newsom got $15,000 from each, when you count the guests they brought to the party. And when Gavin got up he thanked each and every one of them, especially real estate millionaire Clint Reilly, who hosted the event and did most of the arm-twisting.
It was the single biggest fundraiser Newsom has ever held. You’d think that by now he would have seen larger numbers, but the truth is he has never raised big money.
Take note, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Treasurer John Chiang and current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti — it’s going to be tough to match Gavin’s golden touch.
Or Clint’s steely clutch.