The process is the punishment.

The Justice Department quietly dropped its FARA case against General Flynn’s former business partner Bijan Rafiekian after a federal judge in 2019 tossed out the convictions because the government failed to offer substantial evidence.

A federal jury in July 2019 found General Flynn’s associate Bijan Rafiekian guilty of illegally lobbying for Turkey after just 4 hours of deliberation — but Federal Judge Anthony Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, dismissed the indictment because of ‘insufficient evidence to sustain the conviction.’

“The evidence was insufficient as a matter of law for the jury to convict Rafiekian on either count,” Judge Trenga previously wrote in a 39-page memorandum.

“There is no substantial evidence” that he agreed to cooperate subject to the direction/control of Turkey; no evidence of any implied agreement with Turkey.

“There is no evidence of discussions or suggestions, let alone an agreement, express or implied, to either avoid filing under FARA or to cause the filing of a false FARA registration statement,” Judge Trenga wrote.

After years of litigation and fighting the case in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, the DOJ finally gave up and dropped its case.

“After carefully considering the Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in this case and the principles of federal prosecution, the United States believes it is not in the public interest to pursue the case against defendant Bijan Rafiekian further,” federal prosecutors wrote, according to Politico.

Politico reported:

The Justice Department has quietly abandoned one of the last prosecutions stemming from investigations into alleged foreign influence over Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

In a court filing Monday, prosecutors indicated they’re giving up their long-running quest to convict Bijan Rafiekian, a California businessman and former business partner of Trump ally Michael Flynn, on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Turkey amid Trump’s successful White House bid seven years ago.

It’s a bitter pill for prosecutors who convinced a jury in Alexandria, Va., to return two felony guilty verdicts against Rafiekian — better known as Kian — following a week-long trial in 2019 and only about four hours of deliberations. Rafiekian chose not to take the stand during the trial.

However, U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga — who presided over the trial — soon became convinced that the guilty verdicts were not justified by the evidence prosecutors presented. He set aside the verdicts two months later, prompting years of additional litigation that included two trips to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Rafiekian’s lawyer blasted the Justice Department after it dropped the case.

“The Justice Department has finally conceded that this case should never have been indicted,” defense lawyer Mark MacDougall said in a statement Monday.

“Mr. Rafiekian has been the target of baseless federal prosecution for the past five years, only because he made the poor decision to be in business with Michael Flynn. Along with his family and his lawyers, Bijan is particularly grateful to the Court for its unwavering commitment to equity and for ensuring that justice would be done,” MacDougall added.

The post DOJ Quietly Drops FARA Case Against Flynn Business Partner After Judge Tosses Conviction For Insufficient Evidence appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Isaiah Campbell

This year marks the second anniversary of the Kabul Airport bombing attack, killing 13 US servicemen and women.

NEVER FORGET — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chief Chairman Mark Milley, and CentCom Commander General Kenneth McKenzie all knew about the Kabul Airport terrorist bombing at the Abbey Gate hours in advance.

Commanders calling in from Kabul relayed that the Abbey Gate, where American citizens had been told to gather in order to gain entrance to the airport, was the “highest risk” and detailed their plans to protect the airport.

Previously, American heroes confirmed to The Gateway Pundit that US brass knew the suicide bomber was in the area of the Kabul Airport but military brass would not let them take him out.

US Marine sniper later testified that this was true.  He was not allowed to take out the bomber.

Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a U.S. Marine Corps sniper who served in Afghanistan during the surrender to the Taliban forces, testified before Congress earlier this year. Vargas told Congress he was denied permission to shoot the suicide bomber in Afghanistan that killed 13 service members and over 170 civilians.

From his testimony:

Over the communication network we passed that there was a potential threat and an ID attack imminent. This was as serious as it could get. I requested engagement authority while my team leader was ready on the M110 semiautomatic sniper system.  The response: Leadership did not have the engagement authority for us. Do not engage. I requested for the battalion commander, lieutenant Colonel Brad Whited, to come to the tower to see what we did.  Wile we waited for him psychological operations individuals came to our tower immediately and confirmed the suspect met the suicide bomber description.

He eventually arrived, and we showed him our evidence, the photos we had of the two men. We reassured him of the ease of fire on the suicide bomber. Pointedly, we asked him for engagement authority and permission. We asked him if we could shoot. Our battalion commander said, and I quote, “I don’t know,” end quote. Myself and my team leader asked very harshly, “Well, who does?  Because this is your responsibility, sir.”

He again replied he did not know, but would find out. We received no update and never got our answer. Eventually, the individual disappeared. To this day, we believe he was a suicide bomber. We made everyone on the ground aware operations had briefly halted, but then started again. Plain and simple, we were ignored. Our expertise was disregarded. No one was held accountable for our safety.

Joe Biden allowed the Islamic bomber Abdul Reham al Logari to escape Bagram Air Base prison after the Biden regime ordered to abandon the base in the middle of the night.

Abdul Rehman was incarcerated at the Bagram prison for the past four years until he was set free by the Taliban terrorists.

On Sunday, the New York Post reported that a new book reveals troubling details about the final days of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

A new book titled “Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End” has thrown light on the degradation and humiliation suffered by U.S. Marines during the last days of America’s presence in Afghanistan in August 2021.

According to the book by authors Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson, U.S. Marines were ordered to pick up human feces and other unspeakable trash at Kabul airport to leave the facility “pristine for the Taliban.”

More from the New York Post:

The Kabul airport passenger terminal was filthy on Aug. 28, 2021, after the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.

More than 120,000 Afghans had camped there for a week, “defecating and leaving trash, bags, clothes, and other unspeakable things.”

Marines at every level were infuriated at being “forced to scoop up human poop.”

The order to clean “came with a threat that we would not leave at all if it was not completed,” one junior Marine told authors Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson.

“It was degrading and ridiculous. We took a lot of casualties and put a lot of effort into that mission and to close it out that way was wrong. Morale was really down at that point, and it was an extremely pointless effort.”

The post After Losing 13 Service Members in Kabul, Biden’s Final Order Focuses on Picking Up “Human Feces” Not Recovering $80 Billion in Military Equipments Left Behind appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.