When asked about the possible reappointment of Flynn, following a potential exoneration, during his Monday press briefing, Trump contended, “General Flynn is a wonderful man. He had a wonderful career. And it was a disgrace what happened to General Flynn. Let’s see what happens now.”
“Let’s see what happens” was all reporters managed to get on the subject from the US president, who has continually supported Flynn in the press and claimed he was innocent throughout his trial and conviction.
Though rumors of Flynn receiving a pardon from the US president have been thrown around since his 2017 conviction, his case received added attention over the weekend, as it was revealed the US Attorney General Bill Barr had ordered the review of “communications and notes” belonging to FBI personnel involved in the investigation of Flynn.
#FISA Drawing attention Friday filing Flynn case @CBSNews told important for days ahead. AG Barr directed Missouri US Attorney to review FBI personnel “communications and notes,” in part, to determine whether key evidence withheld. Docs under seal but may change. @ClareHymes22 pic.twitter.com/Kn76OP2BnI
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) April 26, 2020
Furthermore, Trump retweeted a breaking news tweet from Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in which she claimed sources told her that Flynn “will be completely exonerated this week” and that the investigation against him was “a total fraud” and “set up.”
The US president also retweeted an account that appears to belong to Flynn’s sister. The social media post quote tweets a Fox News interview with Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), who said that the retired general was “framed” and that Barr’s Friday filing more than likely means there was possible exculpatory evidence that was withheld from the trial.
Devin Nunes-“Why is General Flynn Important? Because He Was Framed By His Own Government!!” #HumanScum @DevinNunes @GenFlynn ⭐️⭐️⭐️ @realDonaldTrump @SidneyPowell1 @KerriKupecDOJ @JosephJFlynn1 @TomFitton https://t.co/TUR7CYfa4j
— Barbara(Flynn)⭐️⭐️⭐️Redgate #WhoLeakedGenFlynn (@BarbaraRedgate) April 26, 2020
Flynn, who once led the “lock her up” chants against former Secretary of State and then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the Republican National Convention in 2016, found himself pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his post-election contacts with then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak on December 1, 2017.
The retired general was one of the first top-ranking members of Trump’s administration to be charged in connection to the special counsel investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential investigation - which disproved collusion allegations between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
During a December 2018 sentencing hearing, US District Judge Emmet Sullivan argued that Flynn was “an unregistered agent of a foreign country while serving as the national security adviser to the president.”
“Arguably, this undermines everything this flag over here stands for,” Sullivan said. “Arguably, you sold your country out.”
However, the retired general was not sentenced during the hearing, and his defense team argued that he’d been wronged by the FBI throughout his trial.
Recently, Flynn’s sentencing hearing was indefinitely postponed in February following intervention by Barr, just days before the original sentencing date set of February 27.
