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A26 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 11 June 2020
Ex-judge says push to dismiss Flynn case is abuse of power

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and legal errors. "The Govern-
COLLEEN LONG ment's ostensible grounds
Associated Press for seeking dismissal are
WASHINGTON (AP) — A conclusively disproven
former federal judge ap- by its own briefs filed ear-
pointed to review the Jus- lier in this very proceed-
tice Department's motion ing," Gleeson wrote. "They
to dismiss criminal charges contradict and ignore this
against President Donald Court's prior orders, which
Trump's former national se- constitute law of the case.
curity adviser Michael Flynn They are riddled with inex-
said there was evidence of plicable and elementary
a "gross abuse" of prosecu- errors of law and fact. And
torial power and that the they depart from positions
request should be denied. that the Government has
Former U.S. District Judge taken in other cases."
John Gleeson said in a fil- Sullivan also asked Glee-
ing Wednesday that the son to explore whether he
government "has engaged should hold Flynn in "crimi-
in highly irregular conduct nal contempt for perjury."
to benefit a political ally As part of his plea, Flynn
of the President." He urged had to admit in court, un-
the judge handling the der oath, that he lied to the
case to deny the motion In this Dec. 18, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump's former National Security Advisor Michael FBI and violated federal
and argued that Flynn had Flynn arrives at federal court in Washington. Associated Press law. It is a crime to lie under
committed perjury. oath in court.
Gleeson was appointed by during the presidential tran- general grew increasingly ligence investigation into In the filing, Gleeson said
U.S. District Judge Emmet sition period. contentious in the months ties between Russia and it was clear that Flynn had
Sullivan in a special role to In January, Flynn filed court before he withdrew his the Trump campaign. committed perjury and
weigh in on the case, but papers to withdraw his plea, particularly after he Officials have said they should be punished but
it will ultimately be up to guilty plea, saying federal hired a new set of lawyers sought to dismiss the case that it should be a fac-
Sullivan and potentially an prosecutors had acted in who raised misconduct al- in the interest of justice, tor considered at his sen-
appeals court whether to "bad faith" and broken their legations against the gov- upon the recommendation tencing, as opposed to
accept the Justice Depart- end of the bargain when ernment. of a U.S. attorney who had additional charges being
ment's motion to drop the they sought prison time for But the Justice Department been appointed by Attor- brought against him.
case. him. filed a motion last month ney General William Barr to "This approach — rather
Flynn pleaded guilty, as Initially, prosecutors said to dismiss the case, saying review the handling of the than a separate prosecu-
part of special counsel Flynn was entitled to avoid the FBI had insufficient basis Flynn investigation. tion for perjury or contempt
Robert Mueller's Russia in- prison time because he to question Flynn in the first Gleeson slammed the Jus- — aligns with the Court's in-
vestigation, to lying to the had cooperated exten- place and that statements tice Department's motion tent to treat this case, and
FBI about conversations sively with the government, he made during the inter- to dismiss the case, saying this Defendant, in the same
with the Russian ambas- but the relationship with view were not material to the arguments from pros- way it would any other,"
sador to the United States the retired Army lieutenant the broader counterintel- ecutors were "riddled" with Gleeson wrote.q

U.S. expands virus testing of detained migrants amid criticism

for the virus to all people ICE employees at deten- panies or local govern-
held at detention facilities in tion facilities, including 15 ment agencies. At a hear-
Tacoma, Washington, and at a facility at the airport ing this month, Sen. Dianne
Aurora, Colorado, and will in Alexandria, Louisiana, Feinstein expressed surprise
consider doing the same where people are held just when Henry Lucero, the
at other locations. The an- prior to deportation. agency's executive asso-
nouncement follows weeks Guatemala suspended de- ciate director for enforce-
of criticism that the agen- portation flights from the ment and removal opera-
cy has not taken sufficient U.S. for nearly a month after tions, testified that detain-
steps to prevent the spread at least 186 people tested ees are typically tested
of the coronavirus among positive for COVID-19 upon only when they show symp-
people in its custody and their return even after U.S. toms of the disease. "I am
those it deports to other assurances that they were very interested in seeing
countries. The most recent healthy. Those flights re- that everyone is tested,"
Guatemalans deported from the U.S., wearing a mask as a data available from ICE sumed Tuesday with one the senator, a California
precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus, board shows there are 838 people from Alexandria. Democrat, told him. The
a bus after arriving at La Aurora airport in Guatemala City, with COVID-19 among the ICE has disputed claims agency said in a statement
Tuesday, June 9, 2020. more than 25,000 people from detainees and immi- released Wednesday that
Associated Press
in its custody at about 200 grant advocates of insuf- it had tested about 80%
By BEN FOX panded COVID-19 testing facilities around the nation. ficient supplies of hygiene of the 570 people held at
Associated Press among people held at its The largest outbreak, with materials such as soap the the Northwest ICE Pro-
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. detention facilities follow- more than 100 cases, is at a and face masks or social cessing Center in Tacoma,
Immigration and Customs ing criticism of its response detention center in the Dal- distancing at confinement Washington, and all but
Enforcement announced to the outbreak. ICE says it las area. There have been facilities, some of which are one test came back nega-
Wednesday that it has ex- now offers voluntary tests 45 confirmed cases among operated by private com- tive for COVID-19. q