“When you are given immunity, that means that you probably have committed a crime.” So said Mike Flynn on September 25 last year, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press". Then-Republican candidate Donald Trump said "if you haven't committed a crime why would you ask for immunity, right?"
Flynn, conspiracy theorist, arbiter of fake
news prior to the election, was also a "lock her up" cheerleader at
the Republican National Convention. He and Trump were, of course, speaking
about then Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and the alleged crime for which
she was endlessly investigated and publicly hung, drawn and quartered despite
having been found to have committed no crime.
In the week prior to the 2016 election,
Flynn tweeted "U decide - NYPD Blows
Whistle on New Hillary Emails: Money Laundering, Sex Crimes w Children, etc…
MUST READ!" The allegations were of course baseless. This was the man
Donald Trump chose for White House National Security Adviser.
In the previous year, Flynn spoke at a Russian
state-owned media RT Television gala in Moscow. Jill Stein also attended the
gala. Flynn, however, was paid $45,000 plus expenses. RT is well known to be a propaganda
outlet controlled by Vladimir Putin. It has been used successfully to propagate
fake news and influence both the ultra right and the ultra left in the US and
countries in Europe.
Flynn was forced
to resign his post within a month when it was revealed, in an ironic twist,
by Intelligence, that he had lied in his
confirmation hearing about meeting any Russian officials. In fact he met with
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Speculation about
deeper involvement has been rife.
Now Flynn has
offered his testimony to the FBI and the House and Senate Intelligence
Committees, in exchange for immunity. So far the reception has been cool. Ranking member of the House Intelligence
Committee Rep Adam Schiff, D-Calif, released
a statement, saying, "We
should first acknowledge what a grave and momentous step it is for a former
National Security Advisor to the President of the United States to ask for
immunity from prosecution."
It is unclear what Mike Flynn's motivation
is, but he has the support of Donald Trump, as expressed, naturally, in a tweet,
which undermines the idea that Flynn has any real information to offer,
especially considering his past obsession with conspiracy theories, and his
predilection for alternative facts.
The White House has recently made
significant efforts to distract attention from the investigations into possible
collusion between Russian officials and members of the Trump campaign—and
indeed Donald Trump himself. But Democrats on the hill are not fooled, and nor
will they be taken in by any games if Flynn is playing them, with or without
the president's endorsement. As Adam Schiff added in his statement,
"Additionally, as with any investigation—and particularly one that grows in severity and magnitude by the day—there is still much work and many more witnesses and documents to obtain before any immunity request from any witness can be considered.
As but one example, during our open hearing I made a formal request of the agencies to provide Mr. Flynn's background check document, SF-86, so we can determine whether he properly reported any work he may have conducted on behalf of a foreign entity. We have yet to receive those documents.
Moreover, when the times comes to consider requests for immunity from any witness, we will of course require a detailed proffer of any intended testimony."
