First he took her job, then he took her bar number. Because Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Timothy Shea is a consummate professional!
After former U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jessie Liu was pushed out of the Justice Department in February for failing to deep six the Flynn prosecution, Bill Barr’s henchman Timothy Shea stepped in to do the dirty work.
Here’s Shea’s signature on the DOJ’s Motion to Dismiss the case against Flynn, because lying to the FBI about secret conversations with the Russian ambassador about sanctions is somehow “not material” to an investigation into the Russian government dangling stolen emails in exchange for sanctions relief.
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And here’s Jesse Liu’s signature line from a Motion in November arguing that Flynn wasn’t entitled to further discovery after he’d already pled guilty in writing, professed his guilt multiple time under oath in open court, and waived any right to further Brady materials.
Why, hello, D.C. Bar No. 472845. Fancy meeting you here!
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First noted by the New York Times, the Department told CNN that the error was due to “clerical oversight.”
The lack of signatures by line attorneys, however, was not an oversight. A.U.S.A. Brandon Van Grack withdrew from the case an hour before the motion was filed, and apparently career prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine wouldn’t put her name on this motion either. Which left the U.S. Attorney in the odd position of personally vouching for the motion, without support from a single attorney in “his” office.
CNN reports that Ballantine submitted the motion electronically, but was highly unlikely to have made such a glaring mistake, suggesting that the document was prepared at Main Justice and then kicked down to D.C. Shea is barred in the District, but not admitted to the D.C. District Court and thus could not submit it himself.
Luckily, Jessie Liu wasn’t using her bar number, since Bill Barr burned her career to the ground after she proved more loyal to the rule of law than to President Trump. Pretty convenient, huh?
Filing error adds to twists of Flynn case reversal [CNN]
Elizabeth Dye (@5DollarFeminist) lives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.