In 2017, General Michael Flynn pled guilty to charges of lying to the FBI. The case involved him lying about the alleged connection between the Donald Trump campaign and Russian political interests. Throughout Wednesday and Thursday evening, Trump has been tweeting numerous supportive messages for the disgraced general.
This has led to widespread speculation that Trump could be gearing up to pardon his former ally. “What happened to General Michael Flynn, a war hero, should never be allowed to happen to a citizen of the United States again!” tweeted Trump on Thursday morning. Flynn’s conviction was one of many surrounding Trump’s allies, including Michael Cohen, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates.
Michael Flynn is still awaiting sentencing for his crimes. However, if Trump were to issue a presidential pardon, Flynn would walk free. At the center of Trump’s criticism of the FBI’s treatment of Flynn is a serious allegation. Trump alleges that the FBI engaged in a practice called “entrapment” with Flynn.
In legal terms, the word “entrapment” is when a law enforcement official or agency tricks someone into committing a crime so that they can arrest them. A classic example would be a police officer tailgating a slow driver until they speed up over the speed limit. Then, once the vehicle is going over the limit, the officer pulls them over and writes them a ticket.
The allegations Trump has been making in recent days come from Flynn’s defense team. The defense for the disgraced general claims to have access to documents that come from within the FBI. These documents, which were obtained in spite of advanced FBI password software, could suggest Flynn was set up to lie to the FBI.
In the documents, FBI officials discuss the best way to question Flynn and how to react if he makes a false statement. Other topics of discussion include how much information Flynn should be give before he answers a question. Recently, Flynn has signaled his desire to retract his original guilty plea. He now alleges widespread misconduct by the law enforcement officers who questioned him.
The prosecution has not yet responded to the documents. It is unclear what the judge will make of them, or what Flynn’s sentencing will look like. However, what is clear is that Trump is furious over the treatment of his political allies. In tweets on Thursday, Trump insisted that the treatment of Flynn was “disgraceful.”
