Flipping Flynn

This past Thursday, while most of America was eating turkey or trying to get a jump start on their Holiday shopping, The New York Times released a whopper of a story about Mike Flynn, the former head of the DIA, and short tenured National Security Advisor to Donald Trump.

The story released by The Grey Lady contained some juicy details, but the crux of the story is that Flynn’s legal team is no longer sharing information about Mueller’s investigation with Donald Trump’s legal team.

This might not sound like a big deal, and a little bit too much of insider gossip, but this could be the beginning of the end for Donald Trump’s presidency.

Let me break this down, point by point.

Before I get lost down a rabbit hole, there’s this little matter of sharing information between legal teams.  Depending on who gets asked, there could be some laws getting bent, but the general consensus is that if two or more parties are targets of the same investigation, and they have legal counsel, they can share information between them.  This becomes vital in cases where the investigators keep everything under wraps, and every sliver of information is worth its weight in gold.  If Trump’s lawyers hear something about the investigation, or get asked questions about Flynn, or Kushner, Donnie, or Mike Pence, it would be considered a courtesy to give those legal teams a heads up, so they know what kind of questions to expect.

So, what does it mean when one legal team stops sharing information?  And what can we glean from this story?

Normally, there are three reasons why a legal team might stop sharing information.  First, what they’re sharing is illegal and/or unethical and could place their clients in jeopardy, or they are no longer on the same side of the investigation.  Considering they were previously sharing info, and that they aren’t exactly the pillars of ethical behavior, the likely answer is that Flynn is no longer on the same side of the investigation as Trump.

Well, what does that mean?

That means exactly what I said.  They’re no longer on the same side.  Either one of their investigations took a turn down a dark path, or one of them isn’t being investigated anymore.  Let me work both of those scenarios.

In the first case, where an investigation into one party takes a turn, then it wouldn’t make sense for the teams to share information, as that could cause more legal problems than it would solve.  Let’s say, during Flynn’s questioning, the FBI asked him about a bunch of missing Russians that disappeared after visiting one of Trump’s properties.  People kept disappearing, until one day, a bunch of bodies washed up along the Atlantic City coast.  They ask Flynn what he knew, but all of this is a shock, and has nothing to do with the previous investigation, it’s just something that washed up.  If Flynn tells Trump about this line of questioning, he could be considered an accessory after the fact.  Telling Trump would be a very bad idea for Flynn.

The second case is that one of them isn’t being investigated anymore.  While this is a slight possibility, it’s as slight as the Cleveland Browns winning the Super Bowl, after being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.  Sure, there are some technicalities, and if a few teams died in plane crashes, then they might be given a pass to the playoffs, but it’s not happening.

There are two sides to the Mueller Probe; those that worked with Trump, and those investigating the Trump Team.  If Flynn is no longer on the Trump Team, the only team left is the Investigators.

But does that necessarily mean that Flynn is working with Mueller?  Not really, but it’s very likely.

Back in the Spring, when Russia was just starting to hit the Main Stream Media, Mike Flynn offered to testify before the Senate, the House, and the FBI, in exchange for immunity.  All three of them said no.

Over the past several months, more and more information has come out about Mike Flynn, and all of the shady business he’s involved with.  He’s been caught in multiple phone calls with the Russian Ambassador, received money from Russia and Turkey for lobbying on their behalf, was in a meeting in December 2016 in Trump Tower working on a back channel connection to Russia using their diplomatic connections, he lobbied on behalf of Kaspersky AFTER working as the head of the DIA when they announced to the rest of the IC that Kaspersky is an arm of Russian Intelligence, he lied on his security clearance background check and renewal, solicited stolen emails from the HRC campaign, and asked others to do the same, didn’t register as a foreign agent under FARA, he shot down a program to arm Kurdish rebels against ISIS because Turkey didn’t like it, and he’s been connected to several meetings with Turkish officials discussing the release of a known money launder, attempted to negotiate several deals to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East on behalf of Russian companies, and the kidnapping and extradition of a political opponent of the Turkish President.  There’s also rumors that he leaked classified information to Erdogan which allowed him to circumvent the attempted coup against him.

This doesn’t include him “lying to the Vice President”, which was the excuse used to fire him 18 days after the White House was informed of his likely compromised position.

That gigantic pile of accusations includes the following crimes:

• Corruption
• Abuse of Power
• Perjury
• Money Laundering
• Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping
• Violations of the Logan Act
• Failure to Register as a Foreign Agent
• Violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice
• Conspiracy to Commit Election Fraud
• Conspiracy Against the United States
• Conspiracy to Benefit from Hacking
• Accepting Campaign Gifts and Donations from a Foreign Power
• Bribery
• Conspiracy to Commit Espionage
• Espionage
• Conspiracy to Commit Sedition
• Sedition
• Recruiting for Service Against the United States
• Conspiracy to Commit Treason
• Misprision of Treason
• Treason

The crimes in italics carry a penalty of life in prison.  Those in bold are capital offenses, and in the United States, carry the death penalty.

Did I mention that his son, Michael Flynn, Jr., was involved in almost all of those alleged crimes as well?

See, Mike Flynn brought his son along with him everywhere after he was fired from his job at the DIA.  Both Mike Flynn’s started the Flynn Intelligence Group, a lobbying firm to take advantage of his previous experience.  There, he worked with many people across the world, including Russians, Iranians, Syrians, and Turks.  Both Flynn’s were involved in everything from accepting bribes to giving away state secrets.

Junior is in a world of hurt, and will receive the same punishment as his father.

And that is how Mueller flipped, or will flip, Flynn.  By using his son as leverage, Mueller will get Mike Flynn to spill his guts on everyone and everything.  If Flynn cooperates, then Junior doesn’t die a traitors death.  Senior is still screwed, but if he hand delivers Trump and Pence, he might get life in prison instead of the death penalty.

According to the rumors that I’ve heard for the last few months, a deal has been on and off a few times, but has been pulled by Mueller’s team when Junior goes and does something stupid.  Senior then has to beg harder and give up more.

As big of a fish as Mike Flynn is, there are a few more that are bigger that he worked with throughout the campaign, transition, and into the White House.  Flynn worked with Manafort on several money deals.  He worked with Jared Kushner, and likely Ivanka Trump, on setting up the December 2016 Trump Tower meeting.  He worked with Steve Bannon and the Mercers on Cambridge Analytica.  Flynn worked with Mike Pence on the Transition Team.

And, don’t forget, but Mike Flynn was on the “Very Short List” to be Donald Trump’s Vice President.  Yep, the man that Donald Trump asked the FBI Director to “let him go” was originally considered for the position of Vice President.  Even with all of his various ties to Russia and Turkey.

By the way, the reason Flynn ended up as National Security Advisor in the White House is funny.  Trump originally wanted him to head the CIA, but that position would require Senate confirmation, which they felt Flynn wouldn’t get.

Flynn can take down everyone, but if I were a betting man, my guess is that he is used to take down Jared Kushner next.  Flynn WAS in Trump’s inner circle.  Jared IS Trump’s inner circle.

Flynn can take down Mike Pence, Jared can take down Donald Trump.