Judge Sullivan s Final Verdict – WSJ

The court made a second mistake by wrapping itself in legal knots (with Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan ignoring his own 2016 precedent, known as U.S. v. Fokker Services) to give Judge Sullivan an out, claiming he should at least be provided the opportunity to rule. The appellate court made clear this was a face-saving exercise; it expected Judge Sullivan to dismiss the case quickly. Instead he made fools this week of his higher-court colleagues. He sat on the case for months, and only when forced by a pardon did he issue a ruling in which he made clear he had no intention of granting the Justice Department s dismissal motion. (Judge Srinivisan s willingness to remake law at the behest of a rogue judge is worth remembering if his name comes up for elevation to the Supreme Court.)

It was Mr. Comey s arrogance that dragged the country into the three-year Russia-collusion saga, so perhaps the Sullivan ruling is a natural bookend. It s a reminder that for all the caterwauling these past four years about the breaking of norms and standards, the unhinged critics of Mr. Trump have done the most damage to the system.

Mr. Flynn has finally received justice. It remains a shame that so many officials were willing to do so much damage to so many institutions while hounding him for years.

via www.wsj.com

Kim Strassel.