White House employees are reportedly worried about being recorded after former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty for lying to the Federal Investigation Bureau and agreed to cooperate fully with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
“Everyone is paranoid. Everyone thinks they’re being recorded,” a person close to Trump’s White House told Politico.
Flynn will remain free for now, but the charge he faces carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail. Part of the plea says that by participating in covert law enforcement activities, Flynn could avoid jail time. According to Politico, wiring up cooperating witnesses is a routine law enforcement tactic used many times in criminal cases.
White House attorneys and private counsel representing current and former Trump aides have asked their clients whether they communicated with their former colleagues and urged them to be diligent in avoiding conversations, except with the lawyers that represent them in the investigation into the possible Russian meddling in 2016 presidential election.
“They’re probably shitting bricks. How can you not?” said an attorney who represents a Trump aide.
According to White House lawyer Ty Cobb, Mueller is too good a professional and prosecutor to tape represented individuals.
“And he doesn’t want his office or his important mission to be tainted,” Cobb said.
He added that he did not know anyone who felt paranoia.
“To the uninformed and inexperienced this may be enjoyable. But in reality, it is unhinged speculation with no foundation,” he said.
People who have a lawyer representing them on the specific topic and the special counsel knows that, are not supposed to be tapped by a witness on that topic.
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