Knee Jerk Reaction: Gen. Michael Flynn

We are past the drip drip phase of the Russia investigation. With the charge against a member of the administration we have reached a turning point as significant as the appointment of the special counsel. Today General Michael Flynn has been charged, and is expected to plead guilty, to one count of lying to the FBI. You know Flynn, this guy:

Now that the former National Security Advisor has been offered a deal, we can expect other names in the administration, past and present, to be implicated. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is not known for being light on people he sees as criminals, and to offer Flynn a plea deal he would have had to been willing to give up quite a bit of information on others further up the food chain. Being that he was a direct report to the President of the United States, the top of the food chain does not appear to be far away. 

To be both clear and fair, to say this is evidence of Trump committing a crime is far overreaching and irresponsible tea leaf reading. It is an indication that such things may have been happening though. Most federal prosecutors will not give a simple single charge to a cooperating witness when there is the wealth of evidence against Flynn out in the public realm. He was colluding with foreign governments to engage in extraordinary rendition with US residents. He was lying not only to the FBI but misrepresenting himself within the national security apparatus, that included the Vice President. 

While everything remains in the speculative realm it is hard to say who is right and who is in hysterics. But it is clear that the second round of indicitments from the Special Counsel's office is the investigation is proceeding forward. It has reached from the campaign, in to the administration. It has gone from advisors, to more concrete officials.

Even the Manafort indictment, though he held a prominent title, was more a way of leaning on him than showing wrongdoing of the campaign or administration. This is a new phase in the investigation. It is unclear how long it will last, or where it will end up. What is clear is that Robert Mueller feels empowered to act, is doing so, and it is starting to amount to actual jail time for actual people. 

That's it for now, back to this Tax bill. Which is evidently awful, and getting worse.