Michael Flynn: Judge suggests he may hold former Trump aide in contempt for perjury

Trump administration seeking to drop charges

A judge has hinted he may seek to hold Donald Trump’s former national security advisor in contempt for perjury – despite efforts by the department of justice to close the case.

Just hours after a top Trump administration intelligence official handed to Republican senators details of people who may have “unmasked” Michael Flynn as he was investigated by the FBI while Barack Obama was still president, a judge asked the one-time general whether he should hold him in contempt for committing perjury.

Mr Trump and his supporters have long considered the case against Flynn to be “outrageous”. The president has claimed the investigation into the 61-year-old former solider, which was launched before he took office, was part of a broader effort by Mr Obama to undermine him and to “spy” on him.

Last week, the department of justice sought to drop criminal charges against Flynn.

Flynn cooperated with the nearly two-year investigation overseen by Robert Mueller, and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with top Russian diplomat.

He later sought to retract his confession.

Politico reported a federal judge, Emmet Sullivan, appeared to throw up a road block when he announced on Wednesday he was appointing a former judge to advise the court on how to respond to the government’s motion.

Mr Sullivan asked if Flynn could be held in contempt over his efforts to withdraw himself from the plea deal he brokered with Mr Mueller’s team.

CNN said Mr Sullivan appointed John Gleeson, to act as a so-called “friend of the court” or amicus curiae. He wrote his task was to present arguments to the judge “in opposition to the government’s Motion to Dismiss” and on “whether the Court should issue an Order to Show Cause why Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury”.

Mr Gleeson is a former Clinton appointee to the federal trial bench in the Eastern District of New York, the news channel said.