Newt Gingrich: Judge's Comments to Flynn 'Worrisome'

Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he and "a lot of people who admire" U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan were shocked by his comments and accusations during former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's sentencing hearing."

"That was not his reputation," Gingrich told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Wednesday. "A lot of what he said was just nonsense. It's a little worrisome to have a judge go off the deep end like that. This guy has power virtually over life and death."

Sullivan on Tuesday told Flynn that he couldn't "hide my disgust, my disdain" for his criminal offense, and that Flynn committed a "very serious offense" when he lied to the FBI on the White House premises.

Both the prosecution and defense had recommended Flynn not receive jail time after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his communications in 2016 with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, as he'd given a great deal of cooperation in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, but Sullivan postponed Flynn's sentencing to March.

"Who knows what he will do to Gen. Flynn now," said Gingrich. "I thought it was a pretty frightening, if you have prosecutors overzealous and they're pushing the limit, putting people in solitary confinement for months on end.

"You have a judge who goes off the deep end, I think that is pretty scary about the nature of freedom for most Americans."

If Flynn is sentenced to prison, the matter could probably be appealed given Sullivan's "rant," said Gingrich.

"I would not be at all surprised to have Flynn's lawyers preparing to move to a different judge," said Gingrich. "I have never seen any judge quite lose it that badly."

• Judge Rebukes Michael Flynn, Calls Crime 'Very Serious'
• Dershowitz: 'I Think Flynn Was Coerced Into Guilty Plea'