The Justice Department prosecutors have reversed their position on no prison time for Mike Flynn and now are seeking up to six months for the former national security adviser:
WASHINGTON (AP) — In reversal, US prosecutors no longer oppose prison time for former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) January 7, 2020
Here’s more from Fox News:
In a reversal, the Justice Department has recommended up to six months of prison time for ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn—claiming he has refused to “accept responsibility” for his actions.
“Given the serious nature of the defendant’s offense, his apparent failure to accept responsibility, his failure to complete his cooperation in—and his affirmative efforts to undermine—the prosecution of Bijan Rafiekian, and the need to promote respect for the law and adequately deter such criminal conduct, the government recommends that the court sentence the defendant within the applicable Guidelines range of 0 to 6 months of incarceration,” federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo on Tuesday.
The filing represents a stark change from a prior Justice Department recommendation, which suggested that Flynn “receive a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines range.” Flynn’s sentencing has dragged on for months and has faced numerous delays.
Recently, Flynn’s defense attorney Sidney Powell has aggressively fought back, pushing to have his prosecution dismissed.
“The government seeks to punish Mr. Flynn for telling the truth when it wasn’t what the prosecutors wanted to hear,” Powell told Fox News in an email on Tuesday. “This is outrageous.”
The big question, should Flynn’s case not be dismissed, is whether Trump will pardon him given the misconduct of the prosecutors in the case. Sentencing for Flynn is expected to happen later this month.
If you want you can read the full sentencing memo here, which is about 33 pages.