Mar 18, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Appeals court reinstates conviction against Michael Flynn's former business partner

Orion Rummler

Michael Flynn wears sunglasses and stands in front of a crowd — Flynn speaks to Trump supporters at the Million MAGA March on Dec. 12. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

A federal appeals court moved on Thursday to reinstate a guilty verdict against the former business partner of ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn, the AP reports.

Why it matters: The case against Bijan Rafiekan, who also served as a member of the Trump transition team, was one of 11 cases transferred by special counsel Robert Mueller to other jurisdictions as he compiled a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential ties to Trump. He again faces the conviction of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Turkish government.

Catch up quick: Rafiekan was found guilty in July 2019 of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Turkish government and lying about it to the Justice Department.

Thursday's decision said that U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga "erred" by tossing out the guilty verdict against Rafiekan last year, and by "concluding that his own rulings may have led jurors to base their decision on emails he admitted at the trial only for a limited purpose," Politico reports.
Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser who pleaded guilty in the Mueller investigation to lying to FBI agents about his conversations with a former Russian ambassador, was not charged in the case against Rafiekan.

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Appeals court reinstates conviction against Michael Flynn's former business partner

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