Mueller 'has the goods': Ex-federal prosecutor nails why Flynn and Flynn Jr. should be 'crapping their pants'

Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti on Monday told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes that Michael Flynn and Michael Flynn Jr.’s behavior in the week since Robert Mueller’s first indictments in the Russia probe is “unbelievable,” adding from his perspective, the special counsel “essentially [has] the goods on Flynn.”

Hayes invited Mariotti, who’s running for Illinois attorney general, to speak about Flynn Jr., who yesterday tweeted, “The SJW are out in full this morning....the disappointment on your faces when I don’t go to jail will be worth all your harassment.”

“He also retweeted something accusing Robert Mueller of having conspired with Hamas,” Hayes added. “What do you make of this as behavior from someone currently under investigation with possible criminal exposure?”

“It's unbelievable,” Mariotti replied. “It's something I have not seen before in my experience as federal prosecutor. Not only in my cases, but observing other cases. Typically when people are facing a federal indictment, they're crapping their pants, so to speak. They're very concerned. It is a big deal. It's a scary thing. Usually you are not trying to upset the prosecutor. You're usually trying to see if you can convince them not to indict. So this sort of thumbing your nose at the prosecution, it tells me that either these people are extremely foolish or they are angling for a pardon in some way.”

“Or maybe they think they're totally innocent, and the government has nothing on them,” Hayes offered.

“You know, that's really hard to believe,” Mariotti replied. “I’m sorry. I don't really believe that. I think that, you know, they've got smart lawyers. Michael Flynn seems like to me he's had a very intelligent lawyer, I mean, the father does. I think that they're very soberly explaining this to their client. If not, they're not doing their jobs.”

“Mueller and his team have amassed significant evidence,” he continued. “If this reporting is accurate, which I presume it is with all the sourcing, they're telling people either Flynn or these lobbyists that they're trying to get to cooperate. They essentially have the goods on Flynn, they’re gonna be pursuing indictments.”