Forget about the felony — Michael Flynn is still a hot political commodity on the Right.
The disgraced former national security adviser has endorsed Troy Downing, the Air Force veteran turned entrepreneur who is running for the nomination against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana. The two already appeared side-by-side at a May 6 event.
“Troy Downing is a lifelong conservative, a combat veteran, a man of impeccable character who possesses the values and principles that our country was founded upon,” Flynn said in a campaign fundraising email Wednesday, “and I’m proud to endorse him to be the next U.S. Senator from The Big Sky State of Montana.”
And it would be really helpful, Flynn wrote, if everyone could throw in “$50 or $100–or any amount you can afford–so Troy and his team have the resources we need to keep the Senate in Republican hands.”
Depending on their politics, the Flynn endorsement will send some voters scrambling for their checkbooks and others turning up their noses.
Good-government types will remember how Flynn lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his communications with the Russian ambassador, lied to the FBI about contacts he had with the Russian government during the presidential election, and lied to the public about taking $45,000 from Russia Today for a speaking engagement in Moscow. To them, Flynn is a villain.
Skeptics of the special counsel will see Flynn as the loyal soldier who has stood faithful to Trump even after being spied on illegally, having his identity unmasked, and his conversations with the Russian ambassador leaked by the Obama administration. To them, Flynn is a martyr.
Either way the endorsement shows that Flynn isn’t entirely damaged goods. He still has a hand to play and he also has legal bills to pay. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is awaiting sentencing. In the meantime, it’s possible that the former Trump aide is using his political endorsement to generate a bit of income. He wouldn’t be the first.
Since being forced out of the White House, Sebastian Gorka has cashed two checks for a total of $10,240 — both “speaking fees” for Danny Tarkanian of Nevada (running for and Kelli Ward of Arizona. While a search of Federal Election Commission disclosures came back empty, it’s possible Flynn could be getting in on second-quarter campaign action, for which records won’t be available for some time.
In the meantime, Montana voters head to the polls for the primary on June 5.
