There are a number of reasons Michael Flynn might be asking for immunity for his testimony. It can be, as Philip Bump has pointed out, a sort of “get out of jail free” card for him.
It might also mean that he has some dirt on Donald Trump, as Jeremy Bash said this morning on MSNBC:
“For DOJ to agree to give somebody like [Flynn] immunity, it means they want him to turn & testify against someone higher up…â€
For now, however, the Senate Intel Committee, at least, is saying “no deal” reports NBC News’ Katy Tur:
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Senate intel will NOT grant Flynn immunity. Lawyer told it was "wildly preliminary" "not on the table" right now per @kasie @KenDilanianNBC
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) March 31, 2017
NBC News further reports that “A second source said the committee communicated that it is ‘not receptive’ to Flynn’s request ‘at this time.'”
Given the Senate Intel Committee is the one that seems moderately serious about its investigation, this announcement leaves us nowhere, for the moment.
However, as Adam Schiff pointedly stated this morning,
The public should learn a lot more about WHY General Flynn wants immunity when Sally Yates testifies before the House Intelligence Committee https://t.co/F6mjRbjUby
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 31, 2017
The House Intel Committee, run by the guy who works for Trump, has done all in its power to keep that from happening.
Jason Chaffetz, another Congressional Trumpist, has weighed in this morning on Flynn, saying he should not be offered immunity and that “It doesn’t look good” for him.”
Flynn’s attorney had said Thursday that,
“No reasonable person, who has the benefit of advice from counsel, would submit to questioning in such a highly politicized, witch hunt environment without assurance against unfair prosecution,”
And Trump himself this morning in another crazy tweet said Flynn should seek immunity given that he’s the victim (like Trump) of a Democrat witch-hunt.
The more bizarre things get with the Trump administration, the more they stay the same. It is anyone’s guess at this point what craziness will develop next.
Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.
