The Last Thing ...

Read what Harvard Law prof emeritus Alan M. Dershowitz has to say about Special Prosecutor Mueller charging former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn with lying to FBI agents. His article appears in The Hill.

The second question is why did Mueller charge Flynn only with lying? The last thing a prosecutor ever wants to do is to charge a key witness with lying.

A witness such as Flynn who has admitted he lied — whether or not to cover up a crime — is a tainted witness who is unlikely to be believed by jurors who know he’s made a deal to protect himself and his son. They will suspect that he is not only “singing for his supper” but that he may be “composing” as well — that is, telling the prosecutor what he wants to hear, even if it is exaggerated or flat-out false.

You can be certain the legal team for anyone against whom Flynn testafies will makes those suspicions explicit in summation. Dershowitz concludes the lying plea reflects weakness, not strength.