Most nonpartisan legal analysts view Special Counsel Robert Mueller's sentencing memos on former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn as a potentially ominous omen for Flynn's former boss, President Trump. Mueller refers to three ongoing investigations, and two are entirely redacted. That secrecy combined, with Mueller's recommendation that Flynn spend little to no time in prison because of his "substantial" cooperation including 19 interviews with investigators, suggest to many that Flynn has provided damning evidence about some bigger fish, up to and possibly including Trump himself.
"The defendant provided firsthand information about the content and context of interactions between the [Trump] transition team and the Russian government," Mueller's memos state. "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."
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Trump's supporters also downplayed the memos on Fox News Tuesday night. "There is no suggestion that Michael Flynn had anything to do with collusion," Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) told Sean Hannity. "I think it's good news for President Trump tonight, that this is what it's come down to. ... Even though they said he substantially cooperated, I think he substantially cooperated to say that there was no collusion." Host Laura Ingraham was slightly more cautious, saying that if this is all Mueller got after having Flynn "in a vice grip for 18 months," then the White House can probably relax. "I mean, unless those reductions are really, like, knock-your-socks-off — maybe they will be — I think this is a big zero."
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