I can't believe that Flynn just suddenly became a double dealing criminal

[Siwsan]

His behavior just seems too startling to have just started, once he retired from his military career. It makes me wonder if anyone is taking a closer look at what he side stuff he might have been getting up to, during his time in active duty. And believe me, that's a painful thing to have to imagine.

[NewJeffCT]

1. I think a lot of what he's doing is for show

to try to still get pardoned by Trump.

I was reading some stuff from Malcolm Nance yesterday and considering that Flynn's co-workers got the book thrown at them yesterday by Mueller, Flynn must have given Mueller some HUGE information. "Gold Plated" was the word he used.

Nance has been way ahead of the curve on Trump/Russia, so I'm hoping he's right again.

[Siwsan]

2. I just looked at his Wikipedia page - they have him listed as a Democrat!?

[Baltimike]

3. He used to be a Democrat. nt

[NewJeffCT]

4. Yes

he's been a Democrat for his adult life, I believe. However, he's turned pretty RW over the past decade or so - he probably just hasn't bothered to change his registration.

[Siwsan]

5. I read further down - he said his family were strong Democrats

It is just sad that his main motivation went from protecting his country to compromising it.

[KCDebbie]

6. Pres Obama FIRED Gen Flynn for several instances of

Misconduct! Maybe the lines between misconduct and treason were blurred even then...

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

7. I'm had to look him up...

I went o Wikipedia to get an overview of him, kind of run of the mill until later in his career.

-snip-

In September 2011, Flynn was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as assistant director of national intelligence in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. On April 17, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Flynn to be the 18th director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.[27][28] Flynn took command of the DIA in July 2012.[29] He simultaneously became commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and chair of the Military Intelligence Board.

-snip-

In June 2013, Michael Flynn became the first U.S. officer to be allowed inside the Russian military intelligence (GRU) headquarters in Moscow, where he arrived at the invitation of the GRU chief Gen Igor Sergun.[32][33] His follow-up trip to visit the GRU HQ as Director of DIA was not allowed.[33]

Retirement from the military

On April 30, 2014, Flynn announced his retirement effective later that year, about a year earlier than he had been scheduled to leave his position. He was reportedly effectively forced out of the DIA after clashing with superiors over his allegedly chaotic management style and vision for the agency.[34][35][36][37] In a private e-mail that was leaked online, Colin Powell said that he had heard in the DIA (apparently from later DIA director Vincent R. Stewart) that Flynn was fired because he was "abusive with staff, didn't listen, worked against policy, bad management, etc."[36] According to The New York Times, Flynn exhibited a loose relationship with the truth, leading his subordinates to refer to Flynn's repeated dubious assertions as "Flynn facts".[38]

-snip-


FlynnFacts . Back then he was known to be a liar.

[wishstar]

8. Apparently his greedy dealmaking did not kick into high gear until his firing in 2014

That is why he is getting away so easily, unlike Manafort and Cohen who were making crooked tax evading deals years earlier. Flynn started bragging about his ability to make money privately as soon as he left the military.

Unlike Manafort and Cohen, Flynn amended his taxes timely and corrected his paperwork to register as foreign agent quickly enough when he got caught, so he is not facing much if any prison time. Seems that he admitted the details of the deals he was doing involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

In my opinion he should get some prison time because his filing trying to blame FBI and not take full responsibility indicates he is not remorseful but instead still on the Trump train spreading the rightwing conspiracies. Had he not been caught redhanded, he would never have come clean and instead would have facilitated foreign policy changes only for lucrative self-serving financial deals.

[Roland99]

9. Seems it's part of what led to his firing?

[Jarqui]

10. This might be a crazy thought but not all of Flynn's story is making sense

What if he was a double agent?

What if his involvement was to get on the inside to get to the bottom of whatever was going on?

What he did is very serious. He could have gone to jail for many years. But they're letting him walk. Like Cohen, if he was guilty, they could have given him a big discount on his jail time but they didn't have to let him walk.

Something here is not adding up. There is more to this story and more to why they're letting him walk than we presently know.

[Siwsan]

12. That's what is itching at my thought process, right now

He's relatively young. What is going to be telling is where he goes, after today. If not to prison, then what is his next step. Yea, he's got a military pension but somehow I doubt that will be sufficient. He's got to be far too toxic for an ethical career path.

There might be the Fox News route, but even they seem to be getting a little gitchie about what's being revealed.

[Baitball Blogger]

11. Hate to break it to you, it's not unheard of for retired military to abuse

the power of their titles, even in civilian situations. I don't know where it comes from, however. Is it the current capitalist situation that seduces them and influences them? Or is this all them?

[Siwsan]

13. I saw enough of them abuse it while still in active duty status!

So I'm not naive to the possibilities. But this is, IMHO closing in on treason.

[Baitball Blogger]

14. True. Even military retirees and active servicemen are upset with him.