OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Retired three-star general Mike Flynn blasted the U.S. justice system and the Supreme Court in particular during a podcast where he discussed the detention of several Americans arrested for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.
Flynn was joined by one of the prisoners, Jake Lang, who was arrested and confined without bond and trial shortly after the incident. During the podcast, Flynn expressed his disappointment with the nation’s highest court and especially Chief Justice John Roberts for allegedly failing to act on behalf of jailed citizens who he believes have been deprived of constitutional rights and due process under the law.
He said (around the 13:00 mark in the video below):
Exculpatory evidence is something that I learned quite a bit about because the FBI and the Department of Justice but remember, folks, the FBI works for the Department of justice, and the Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice. And then, of course, they work for the President of the United States. So when somebody goes, well, they’re appointed, or whatever…. No.
So … exculpatory evidence is evidence that is good or bad for a defendant, right? It can be good or bad, but you have to receive it. It’s a Supreme Court ruling that you have to receive it. Exculpatory evidence could be video….
Trust me, Jake, the Department of Justice, not only in your case but in all these cases, is withholding exculpatory evidence. They did it to me, and they did it in a huge way. And, of course…honestly, it took a miracle to get to where I was at, where a special counsel was brought in because it was so egregious. And in my own dismissal, the Department of Justice had to admit that they committed a crime against me. And so I guarantee that there’s a ton of exculpatory evidence being withheld.
Then, at around the 18:00-mark, Flynn, who served a short stint as then-President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, turned his ire at the Supreme Court and Roberts.
“The United States Supreme Court, they have a role in all of this. They have a role to protect the integrity of the justice system, the judiciary, particularly the judiciary, in fact, specifically the judiciary. When we look at somebody…and there’s constitutional issues that are being violated, your rights are being violated constitutionally. So where the hell is Justice Roberts? Where is Chief Justice Roberts?” he said.
“The justices on that court, especially the chief justice, they have an obligation to protect the integrity of the Constitution and the integrity of the judiciary because they’re the highest court in the land. And so I kind of question, like, where the hell are they? I mean, they cannot sit there and say, well, we didn’t know. We’re not aware,” he added.
LISTEN:
Flynn is a former national security advisor to President Donald Trump. He served in the United States Army for over 33 years, rising to the rank of Lieutenant General.
He was appointed as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency by President Barack Obama in 2012, but was forced to retire in 2014. In 2016, he became a key advisor to then-candidate Trump and was later appointed to his national security post 2017. However, he resigned after just 24 days in the position due to controversy over his conversations with Russian officials during the transition period.
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017, but the charges were later dropped by the Justice Department. Also, Trump pardoned Flynn after losing the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, Rolling Stone reported earlier this month that Flynn has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the federal government, alleging he was maliciously prosecuted over allegations he held improper discussions with a Russian diplomat during the transition period between the 2016 November election and Trump’s inauguration the following January.
The origin of the lawsuit dates back to a 2016 FBI investigation that occurred during the Obama administration, which examined Flynn’s alleged links to Russia.
“This lawsuit seeks accountability and damages against the United States for these wrongs committed against General Flynn through its agents and agencies,” reads the filing, calling his prosecution “wrongful and malicious” and a “gross abuse of process,” according to Rolling Stone.
