President Trump defended his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn early Friday, saying his life has been “totally destroyed” while “shadey” James Comey can “Leak and Lie” and make “lots of money” from his “third rate book.” Flynn was back in the headlines overnight after the release of the Comey memos that documented the fired FBI director’s conversations with Trump, some of which covered Flynn. nIn one memo, Comey wrote that Trump said Flynn had “serious judgment issues.” But Trump on Friday kept his criticism trained squarely on Comey, who is blanketing the airwaves in promotion of his tell-all book “A Higher Loyalty.
“So General Michael Flynn’s life can be totally destroyed while Shadey James Comey can Leak and Lie and make lots of money from a third rate book (that should never have been written). Is that really the way life in America is supposed to work? I don’t think so!” Trump tweeted.
Flynn served as Trump’s first national security adviser in January and early February 2017, before being forced to resign after White House officials said he had misled them and Vice President Pence about whether he had discussed sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is in deep financial trouble, as his legal bills mount to defend himself in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Family members have said that Flynn is selling his house in Virginia with an asking price of $895,000 to help pay for his legal bills. Flynn’s siblings have also set up a legal defense fund for him, to collect donations from supporters. Flynn pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017 to making false statements to the FBI about his communications with Russia as part of Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 presidential election.
Mueller’s team has sought to delay his sentencing, and is expected to file another joint-status report by May 1, following a special counsel motion on Feb. 1, 2018 suggesting they did not “believe that this matter is ready to be scheduled for a sentencing hearing at this time.”
The delay was one of several curious developments in the proceedings. Days after accepting his guilty plea, the judge assigned to the case, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Rudolph Contreras, recused himself from the case, and was replaced by Judge Emmett Sullivan. A court spokesperson told Fox News that the courts do not disclose grounds for recusal.
But last month, Fox News obtained text messages between anti-Trump FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, which suggested Strzok and Contreras had a personal relationship. The text messages also revealed a conversation between Strzok and Page discussing Contreras and “recusal,” noting the judge sat on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC.)
Trump tweeted that the memos, obtained and reviewed by Fox News, laid out that there was “NO COLLUSION” and “NO OBSTRUCTION.”
“James Comey Memos just out and show clearly that there was NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION. Also, he leaked classified information. WOW! Will the Witch Hunt continue?” Trump tweeted Thursday night. Comey leaked the contents of some memos, which have portions redacted due to classified information, to his friend, Columbia Law Professor Daniel Richman. Comey admitted in Senate testimony last year that he wanted Richman to leak the memos to the press to spur the appointment of a special counsel.
