As much as there is a flurry of reporting on Michael Flynn’s resignation, no one seems to want to talk about the elephant in the room. While plenty are arguing that Flynn’s actions are a flagrant flaunting of the law, few are aggressively pursuing the subsequent attempts by both him and this administration to cover up his crimes with lies. That boys and girls is conspiracy. The very thing that got Nixon shown the door.

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Flynn’s illegal representation of the American Government to the Russian Ambassador is a clear violation of the Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953).

The Logan Act;

Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply, himself or his agent, to any foreign government or the agents thereof for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.

The subsequent actions of the administration, with the knowledge provided to them by the FBI concerning this issue, particularly the lies to cover up Flynn’s sins, is conspiracy.

Conspiracy;

If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

If, however, the offense, the commission of which is the object of the conspiracy, is a misdemeanor only, the punishment for such conspiracy shall not exceed the maximum punishment provided for such misdemeanor.

Rep. Chris Collins (R–NY 27th District) in a Washington Times article this morning argued that it’s “time to move on.” That is exactly what one would expect from one of the so-called president’s boot-lickers. No, Mr. Collins, it is not time to move on, it is time to double down. Collins argues that Flynn’s resignation is best for the country. I would argue that Flynn’s prosecution and conviction of whatever the market will bear is what’s best for the country. What’s best for the country is that we convict criminals of wrong doing and punish them as appropriate. Flynn and his conspirators, whoever they may be – Let me say that again… WHOEVER THEY MAY BE – MUST be taken to task and the law be done upon them. But of course, the GOP, historically, has only been concerned with Democratic lies, being quite unconcerned with their own.

Anyone who thinks that sweeping Flynn’s behavior under the rug is what’s “best for the country” is merely trying to pull blinders over the eyes of the American public to the possible, probable, wrongdoing of the so-called president and his administration. They do this because they think you are stupid. Are you stupid? I sincerely, for the sake of the country, hope not. After all, if the oval office knew of Flynn’s lies, (and based on reports thus far, it appears they could not have not known) and then lied about the events themselves, in turn lying about Flynn’s lies, creating a circle of self-supported lies that could only collapse under the hard light of truth.  That there is a guilty mindset, a mens rea of the first order, indicative of some sort of wrongdoing, an anti-American, anti-rule of law actus rea and deserving of a full-fledged investigation by an independent authority. After all, even Bill Clinton’s lies did not extend as far as these may.

Should the evidence indicate a conspiracy by the so-called president or any of his lackeys, then all those involved must, for the sake of American Democracy, be punished the fullest extent of the law.  Otherwise, our laws mean nothing, and our Democracy is a sham, and America is a fraud, an ersatz democracy (lower case “d”), fraudulent, phony, and affected. It is a rich man’s showboat manned by citizen-slaves, more akin to the People’s Republic of Korea or the defunct German Democratic Republic than the shining city on the hill.

Flynn, growing up was lifeguard. Today, if this government wishes to show any backbone and integrity, it would show Flynn what getting in too deep really meant. Throwing him the life ring of a reduced sentence for his testimony against his co-conspirators. This is important enough, I would even consider offering him immunity from prosecution.  But will this happen? I wouldn’t hold my breath.

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Image Source: DonkeyHotey, 4 Dec 2016,  UR: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Flynn_-_Caricature1.jpg accessed: 14 Feb 2017.