Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed a memorandum Tuesday recommending a lenient sentence — with the possibility of no prison time — for convicted former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and stating that Flynn has offered “substantial” help to investigators about “several ongoing investigations.”
The bombshell release comes as additional sentencing memorandums are expected within days in the cases of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, amid multiple reports and indications that the long-running Mueller probe into ties between President Trump’s team and Russia is winding down.
“Given the defendant’s substantial assistance and other considerations set forth below, a sentence at the low end of the guideline range, including a sentence that does not impose a term of incarceration – is appropriate and warranted,” the memo states.
Flynn sat for 19 interviews with the Special Counsel’s office and other Department of Justice attorneys, according to the sentencing memorandum and a heavily redacted supplemental filing attached to the end of the primary memorandum.
Responding to the documents’ release, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani told Fox News that Mueller was “spitting on the sidewalk, with major repercussions for many.”
He added that there was nothing in the sentencing memo to suggest collusion between the Trump team and Russia, and denounced the Mueller team as “overzealous media inspired prosecutors” and “sick puppies.”
The new documents do not provide specifics about what exactly Mueller has learned from Flynn, but they indicate he provided “documents and communications” about his time working with the Trump administration during the presidential transition period.
Mueller’s addendum to the memorandum states that Flynn has “assisted with several ongoing investigations,” including the Russia probe and an apparently separate “criminal investigation.”
“Additionally, the defendant’s decision to plead guilty and cooperate likely affected the decisions of related firsthand witnesses to be forthcoming with the [Special Counsel] and cooperate,” prosecutors added.
Further information about the criminal investigation, including the subject of that probe, is redacted. The document also suggests Flynn helped with a third ongoing investigation, but details on that probe are redacted in their entirety. It was not clear if Mueller is handling those investigations.
“The defendant provided firsthand information about the content and context of interactions between the transition team and Russian government officials,” the addendum reads. “For example, after the election, the defendant communicated with the Russian ambassador to the United States as a representative of the transition team on two sensitive matters: a United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution calling for Israel to cease settlement activities in Palestinian territory and the Obama Administration’s imposition of sanctions and other measures on Russia for interfering in the 2016 election.”
It continues: “Several senior members of the transition team publicly repeated false information conveyed to them by the defendant about communications between him and the Russian ambassador regarding the sanctions.”
The memo goes on to praise Flynn’s military career and his decision to “accept[] responsibility in a timely fashion.”
“[D]efendant’s military and public service are exemplary,” the memo stated….
