The most important and ominous part of Mueller's memo on Michael Flynn might be what you can't read
In a sentencing memo filed Tuesday night in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., Special Counsel Robert Mueller says due to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's early and "substantial assistance" and numerous interviews, "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." In an addendum, Mueller spells out some of the "substantial" cooperation Flynn provided in at least two investigations, one of them the special counsel office's look at Russian election meddling and any coordination with President Trump's campaign.
Information about the other one or more investigations, at least one of them a criminal inquiry, is completely blacked out:
"Most of it, I would suggest, that matters is redacted," CNN's Chris Cuomo said Tuesday night, telling us "that this is not over." Along with the Russia investigation, Flynn has "also been helping with a separate criminal investigation. Against who? About what? We don't know — it's all redacted," Cuomo said. "So common sense tells you the truth: He's got something else working. There will be more to come," and this addendum reads like a warning to people who didn't cooperate.
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Cuomo discussed what the memo might mean with former U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal and investigative journalist Michael Isikoff, and they all agreed the lack of jail time is significant. "The $5 million question is what is to come, and boy, that target has to be something big in order for Flynn to get the deal he did," Katyal said.
At Fox News, Shannon Bream notes that the heavy redacting "leads to both sides claiming victory tonight." Watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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