President Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, which ended with the judge postponing his decision after Flynn back-tracked on attacks against the FBI which his lawyers had made in memos earlier in the week.
Former federal prosecutor Jon Sale and New York Times reporter Adam Goldman discussed the developments on Fox News' The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino, with both men concluding that Flynn's gambit to attack the prosecution team that had suggested he do no prison time had backfired badly.
"Flynn is caught in a dilemma," Sale said. "Don't blame the lawyers—everyone's blaming the lawyers. It backfired and he backed off. He criticized the FBI but he walked into court and saw he was not going to walk out a free man... Remember, he got a sweetheart deal. His son was in jeopardy. He was involved in the illegal lobbying efforts on behalf of the Turkish government. He pleaded to one count and the Turkish government. And the special prosecutor went to bat for him, almost like he was his own lawyer."
Goldman said that the 19 interviews Flynn gave to the special prosecutor had helped him win the support of prosecutors, but that after his attempt to tar the FBI he might now have to give more information to help his case when he next appears before the judge, in March.
Perino asked Goldman about an opinion column published by Bloomberg today in which a writer argued that Flynn was "owed an apology."
"Well, that doesn't seem to be the case," he said. "General Flynn sat down with two agents with the FBI, knowingly lied to them, repeatedly... He lies to the FBI and he's indicted. This is how our courts work... There was nothing unusual done in Flynn's case. All this smoke and fog about whether he seemed relaxed at the interview or he should have had legal counsel. The Judge didn't take issue with that."
Watch the clips below.
