Tag: Michael Flynn

Posted on

OA706: Flynn “Sold Out” His Country… and Now He’s Suing It!

Liz and Andrew break down the latest LOLsuit from Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

You may recall Gen. Flynn from screeching “Lock Her Up!” on the campaign trail while surreptitiously serving as an unauthorized lobbyist for Turkey’s brutal authoritarian regime. You may recall him as a pro-Russian stooge who lied about being a pro-Russian stooge. And you may recall him as having been pardoned by Donald Trump after Bill Barr tried to rig the Department of Justice in his favor.

However you remember this bozo, you’ll be shocked to discover that he now thinks he deserves FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS for… having friends in high places. Fortunately, his lawsuit doesn’t stand a chance in hell of succeeding, as Liz and Andrew make clear.

Notes
Flynn complaint
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.411523/gov.uscourts.flmd.411523.1.0.pdf

OA Amicus Brief
http://openargs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020.06.09-Amicus-Brief.pdf

OA Amicus Show (Episode 394)
https://openargs.com/oa394-the-amicus-show/

OA 689
https://openargs.com/oa689-lawsuit-or-interpretive-dance-why-not-both/

22 U.S.C. § 618
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/618

18 U.S.C. § 371
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/951

2019 DOJ Report on Crossfire Hurricane
https://www.justice.gov/storage/120919-examination.pdf

28 U.S.C. Chapter 171
https://t.co/sFiQAXafWI

28 U.S.C. § 2401
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/2401

Form 95
https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/claim-damage-injury-or-death

28 U.S.C. § 2675
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/2675

Sconiers v. US, 896 F.3d 595 (3d Cir. 2018)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=8262809632148475317

Flynn v. Pelosi
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/61634816/flynn-v-pelosi/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

OA 696
https://openargs.com/oa696-in-which-james-okeefe-pretends-to-be-a-journalist/

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

–Subscribe to the YouTube Channel and share our videos!

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!

Posted on

OA408: What Happens When The CARES Act Expires Tomorrow?

Today’s episode takes a deep dive into the Republican proposal to extend the CARES Act, which is (of course) called the HEALS Act. It’s a Republican proposal, so you know it’s probably terrible, but… how bad is it? (Bad.) Listen and find out!

Remember that our LIVE Q&A is THIS SATURDAY, 8/1, at 7:30 pm Eastern / 4:30 pm Pacific!

We begin, however, with some good news! The D.C. Circuit has granted en banc review and vacated the prior panel opinion in the Michael Flynn case. That means our amicus brief is (potentially) back in business, baby!

From there, we take down Trump’s idiotic distract-o-Tweet of the day involving postponing the 2020 Election. No. He can’t do this. It won’t happen. Trump’s a monster, but no.

Then it’s time for a deep dive on the CARES Act, which includes some mystery provisions we’ve outsourced to you, our listeners!

After all that, it’s time for #T3BE, this one a (straightforward?) question about permissible witness testimony. Remember that you too can play along by sharing this episode on social media using #T3BE.

Patreon Bonuses

Lots of goodies, including the Q&A Questions thread and Andrew’s “100 Seconds” talk to the UK Skeptics in the Pub!

Appearances

Andrew pops in again for an interview on The Daily Beans. And if you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, event, or in front of your group (virtually!), please drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. We broke down why Trump can’t cancel the election in detail in Episode 370.
  2. You can click here to read the McConnell HEALS Act proposal; here for the Rubio/Collins proposal we discussed on a second round of PPP loans; and here for the academic research led by Raj Chetty that PPP loans don’t work.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-Remember to check out our YouTube Channel  for Opening Arguments: The Briefs and other specials!

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



Download Link
Posted on

OA394: The Amicus Show!

Today’s episode takes an in-depth look at the concept of an amicus brief, explaining why we filed one in the Flynn case, what it means, and what’s next for the guy who sold out his country… and his partner.

We begin with a brief update on the Flynn trial (in the District Court for the District of Columbia) and the mandamus action pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Then, it’s time to talk about all the various amicus briefs that were filed, with special attention to a pro-Flynn brief filed by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Why does this liberal group want Judge Sullivan to grant the government’s motion? Listen and find out!

After a breakdown of all the amicus, we talk about the case in which Lt. Gen. Flynn was supposed to be the star witness for the government — the case against Flynn’s partner, Bijan Rafiekian. Find out what’s up next for Kian, and how this all involves friend of the show G. ZACHARY TERWILLIGER!

After all that, it’s time for a brand-new #T3BE, this one involving… real property. Can Thomas manage to figure out the relationship between a buyer, a mortgagor, a developer, and an unsigned deed? Listen and find out, and play along if you want on social media!

Patreon Bonuses

We posted six separate updates to the amicus brief in progress, and there’s more where that came from!

Appearances

Andrew was just on the latest episode of the Daily Beans Podcast. And if you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, event, or in front of your group (virtually!), please drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Make sure you check out the Opening Arguments Amicus Brief!
  2. You can also click here for the reply brief just filed by G. Zachary Terwilliger in the Bijan Kian case.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-Remember to check out our YouTube Channel  for Opening Arguments: The Briefs and other specials!

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



Download Link
Posted on

Transcript of OA392: In the Aftermath of George Floyd

Listen to the episode and read the show notes

Topics of Discussion:

[Show Intro]

Thomas:         Hello and welcome to Opening Arguments, this is episode 392.  I’m Thomas, that’s Andrew.  How’re you doing, Andrew?

Andrew:         I have to say fantastic, right?

Thomas:         You are contractually obligated, but uh-

Andrew:         I’m excited to do the show, I’m not excited that the world is still on fire, but I am excited to do the show.

Thomas:         Yeah, we can do a little contract law.  You are obligated to say “fantastic,” but at what point has the world become such an act of god or whatever?

Andrew:         [Laughs]

Thomas:         Does the state of things?

Andrew:         [Laughing] Yeah!

Thomas:         At what point can you no longer be held to that?

Andrew:         Force majeure clause!

Thomas:         Yeah exactly.

Andrew:         [Laughs] I don’t have to be fantastic.

Continue reading “Transcript of OA392: In the Aftermath of George Floyd”
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5
Posted on

OA392: In the Aftermath of George Floyd

Today’s extra-long show — two hours if you’re a patron! — tackles all the issues surrounding the state of our Union in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, including questions about which charges should be filed against Derek Chauvin, whether Trump can invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, and much, much more! Oh, and as a bonus, we also have a “lightning round” Yodel Mountain segment (with deep dives for patrons).

We begin with an in-depth discussion of an argument made by arguably the country’s greatest legal mind, Laurence Tribe, that the murder-3 charge against George Floyd was sure to be dismissed. Find out why Andrew thinks Tribe is wrong, even in light of the Minnesota DA’s decision to add a murder-2 charge to Chauvin’s charges. After that, Andrew will explain one thing he was wrong about… due to a “quirk” in Minnesota’s laws regarding felony murder and the merger doctrine.

Then, we discuss Trump’s invocation of the Insurrection Act of 1807 to justify potentially sending armed forces into American cities. You’ll learn exactly how not justified this is… and whether it matters.

After that, it’s time to (briefly!) check in with Black Lives Matter and evaluate their lawsuit against Eric Garcetti for an injunction to block the Los Angeles curfew. Will it succeed? (No.)

We’re not remotely done, though! After all that, it’s time to head on up for a lightning round atop Yodel Mountain., were we check in on (1) Rod Rosenstein’s Senate testimony, (2) Judge Sullivan’s DC Circuit brief in the Flynn case, and (3) a weird story making the rounds regarding a 2016 lawsuit filed (and dropped) against Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

After all that, it’s time for an all-new #T3BE involving character testimony. It’s a tough question; can Thomas get it right? Listen and find out!

And remember — if you’re a patron, you get a ton of bonus content in this episode, including deep dives on each and every one of these stories!

Patreon Bonuses

There’s a new Patreon amicus thread in addition to all the other patreon goodies.

Appearances

None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, event, or in front of your group (virtually!), please drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. COVID-19 is still a crisis.
  2. On Floyd: (a) you can click here to read the revised Chauvin charging document; (b) this is the here’s the Laurence Tribe article; and (c) here’s the Greg Egan law review article. We also discuss a number of cases including State v. Wahlberg, 296 N.W. 2d 408 (Minn. 1980), State v. Loebach, 310 N.W. 2d 58 (Minn. 1981), and State v. Barnes, 713 N.W.2d 325 (Minn. 2006).
  3. On the Insurrection Act of 1807, 10 U.S.C. §§ 251-255, we cited two specific provisions: § 252 and § 253. And we discussed Greg Gianforte back in Episode 72. During the bonus, we also discussed two executive orders from the George H. W. Bush presidency: EO 12690 and EO 12804, and two corresponding Proclamations: 6023 and 6427.
  4. During the bonus, we also break down how Vol. I of the Mueller Report contradicts Rosenstein’s testimony.
  5. Finally, check out Sullivan’s D.C. Circuit brief.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-Remember to check out our YouTube Channel  for Opening Arguments: The Briefs and other specials!

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



Download Link
Posted on

OA390: Trump’s War on Twitter (A Deep Dive on Section 230)

Today’s episode breaks down the latest temper tantrum and accompanying executive order by our game show host president attacking social media platforms for having the temerity to engage in fact-checking. You’re going to be hearing a lot about “Section 230” — so we’re here to tell you exactly what that means, what Trump is trying to do, and why it matters.

We begin, however, with a pretty straightforward Andrew Was Right now that Tulsi Gabbard has voluntarily dismissed her defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton that we covered back in Episode 354 (“A Russian Asset Sues What?”).

Then it’s time for our deep dive into CompuServe, Prodigy, section 230 of the Telecommunications Decency Act of 1996, 47 U.S.C. § 230 — which ended internet porn forever — and what all of that has to do with Trump’s latest tantrum over being fact-checked on Twitter. You won’t want to miss it!

After that, it’s time for an update on the amicus brief we’re filing in the Flynn case. We tell you what Flynn’s best case is, and walk through how it does and does not inform Judge Sullivan’s discretion under Rule 48(a).

And then, of course, we end with an all-new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam involving a fire at one warehouse spreading to another. If you want to play along, just share out this episode on social media using the hashtag #T3BE and we might pick you as next week’s winner!

Patreon Bonuses

We’ve got an all-new Live Q&A scheduled for Sunday, May 31 at 7 pm Eastern / 4 pm Pacific, and Patrons can click here to suggest questions and vote on the ones they want answered. Also remember that Patrons can give their input on the OA Amicus Brief!

Appearances

Andrew was just a guest on the latest episode of The Daily Beans. And if you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, event, or in front of your group, please drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Tulsi links: (a) click here for the news that Tulsi Gabbard has voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit; (b) here to read the original defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton; (c) the Time magazine story on how strong a case Tulsi Gabbard had; and (d) be sure to listen to our coverage of this from Episode 354 (“A Russian Asset Sues What?”).
  2. Trump links: (a) click here for the fact-check on Trump; (b) here is the text of 47 U.S.C. § 230; (c) for the draft of the Executive Order, check out Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, and Page 6.
  3. OA brief: Click here to read U.S. v Fokker Svcs. BV, 818 F.3d 733 (D.C. Cir. 2016).

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-Remember to check out our YouTube Channel  for Opening Arguments: The Briefs and other specials!

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



Download Link
Posted on

OA388: Reinstating the Rule of Law

Today’s episode checks in on all the latest goings-on in the Trump administration that probably don’t violate the law but do undermine the norms of 200+ years of government, from firing Inspectors General that are potentially interested in government accountability to the DOJ’s refusal to turn over the unredacted Mueller Report to the House Judiciary Committee to the collusion between Bob Barr and Michael Flynn. You won’t want to miss it.

We begin with some pre-show news about Cory Wilson, the latest completely insane, hyper-partisan (and 49-year-old) Trump nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals.

From there, we take a deep dive into the Inspector General Act of 1978, 5a U.S.C. § 3, and the legal protections for IGs (or lack thereof).

After that, it’s time to check in on the latest order by the Supreme Court staying the production of the unredacted Mueller Report to the House Judiciary Committee. We explain exactly what that means and when, if ever, you should start panicking.

Then, it’s time for an update on the Flynn case where we’re filing The Opening Arguments Amicus Brief! Also, we check in on a truly terrible Sidney Powell filing seeking mandamus from the D.C. Circuit.

After all that, it’s time for a brand-new #T3BE about a man, his yacht, and insurance fraud — in which Thomas tries to figure out if the issue is privilege, hearsay, or something else entirely.

Patreon Bonuses

Patrons can give their input on the OA Amicus Brief! And if you missed our live Q&A, you can check out the audio here!

Appearances

Andrew was just a guest on the latest episode of the Daily Beans podcast! And if you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, event, or in front of your group, please drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Cory Wilson was rated a tepid “Qualified” by the ABA his first-go-round; that got upgraded to “mostly Well-Qualified” when he was renominated.
  2. Check out the Inspector General Act of 1978, 5a U.S.C. § 3.
  3. This is the Supreme Court order staying the production of the unredacted Mueller Report. Here’s the petition for mandamus, and the opposition by the House of Representatives.
  4. We last covered the Flynn case in Episode 386. Click here to read the 4th Circuit’s mandamus opinion in In re Flynn. And click here to check out the late-breaking order from the 4th Circuit requiring additional briefing from Judge Sullivan.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-Remember to check out our YouTube Channel  for Opening Arguments: The Briefs and other specials!

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



Download Link
Posted on

OA386: The Opening Arguments Amicus Brief!

Today’s episode marks a milestone for the show: we’re going to file an amicus curiae brief in the Michael Flynn case. Find out exactly how & why we’re doing this!

We begin, however, with a brief update in the various emoluments cases, including an update on the two orders released this morning by the 4th Circuit en banc.

After that it’s time to dig into all the developments in the Flynn litigation that will lead to the filing of Opening Arguments’ first amicus brief!

Then, it’s time for #T3BE, featuring next week’s guest, Andrew Seidel!

Patreon Bonuses

If you missed our live Q&A, you can check out the audio here!

Appearances

None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, event, or in front of your group, please drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. The last time we broke down the emoluments clause cases was in Episode 361. You can check out the two orders released this morning by the 4th Circuit en banc (the first one is the lengthy discussion).
  2. Flynn docs: the DOJ’s Motion to Dismiss; the Notice of Intent to file amicus by the Watergate Prosecutors, as well as the 9th Circuit’s Opinion in U.S. v. Hector.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-Remember to check out our YouTube Channel  for Opening Arguments: The Briefs and other specials!

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



Download Link
Posted on

Transcript of OA356: The Future of Flynn (w/guest Marcy Wheeler)

Listen to the episode and read the show notes

Topics of Discussion:

Andrew:         Hey everybody, I just wanted to tell you how proud Thomas and I are of our listeners.  At least hundreds, possibly thousands of you, made the effort to call your Senators and tell them that you wanted to hear from witnesses during the impeachment trial.  Obviously that vote came Friday night after we recorded this show and we lost 51 to 49.  That sucks, and there is no spin that I can put on that, but I do want to share something that Erica Goddard wrote in our Facebook community that really helped me, helped remind us of our mission with this show.

She says:  “You told us after the 2018 elections why we had cause to be proud of the results. We fight the holding actions, we get to November 2020, we keep the momentum of 2018 going.

Tonight, we mourn, but Tomorrow, we look for the next holding action, the one that helps us get to November.  We build an America we can be proud of again.

When you despair, remember this community you have brought together. Remember those you have helped teach.  The legal profession will feel the impact of your work as those studying law in this group pass the Bar and move forward. Other professions will feel the impact of a better educated populous who understand the world and the law.”

Thank you Erica!  Please do, folks have continued to share in the Facebook group, on Twitter, elsewhere, send us an email if you’re not a part of either of those groups and tell us when you go to law school, when you graduate, when you pass the bar, when you get your jobs.  We love those stories and I promise that we’ll continue to do what Erica said.  We are looking for new and creative ways to try and keep breaking down the law for you, and as the other side tries to break our institutions we will keep standing up for them.  Even when the answers aren’t what we want to hear, I do still believe we make the world a little bit better every time we make it a little better educated. 

So we have an example of that today, we’ve got a great interview with journalist Marcy Wheeler, that’s about the Michaele Flynn case, it’s about the state of the DOJ and her belief that people will face consequences.  We’re gonna continue to break down the law and identify what we need to do in order to move forward.

Thanks again, thanks to all of you, we’re gonna help continue to fight on.

Continue reading “Transcript of OA356: The Future of Flynn (w/guest Marcy Wheeler)”
Posted on

OA356: The Future of Flynn (w/guest Marcy Wheeler)

Today’s episode features an in-depth interview with investigative journalist and prolific blogger Marcy Wheeler (a.k.a. emptywheel), who has a novel take on Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn who, as our listeners know, fired Covington & Burling, hired a loon, and has tried to withdraw his guilty plea. Marcy tells us what she thinks this means!

We begin with a bit of analysis and some kind words from a listener in light of the disappointing Senate vote to block witnesses that came down late Friday night. Yes, this means the impeachment is effectively over. No, it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop fighting.

After that, it’s time to tackle Marcy Wheeler’s take on Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. We do a deep dive into the two most recent sentencing memoranda filed by the government in Flynn’s case while trying to figure out what this portends. You don’t want to miss it!

After all that, it’s time for the answer to #T3BE 164 involving a crazed roommate, an aborted murder, and exactly what you could charge him with.

Appearances

None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Check out the latest blog post from Marcy Wheeler, which sets out her take on Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and sets out the embedded legal documents.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



Download Link