Flynn's Former Business Partner Still Faces Criminal Charges

The Justice Department is moving forward with its plan to continue a criminal case against former Trump transition team adviser Bijan Rafiekian, Politico reports.

Last year, a jury found Rafiekian guilty on two foreign-agent-related felony charges. But a judge ordered his acquittal.

Now, the federal government is aiming to revive the case. Prosecutors filed a 53-page brief on Sunday with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.

The incident involves former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Rafiekian is Flynn's former business partner.

Recently, Attorney General William Barr decided to drop charges against Flynn for his alleged involvement in with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Flynn admitted he lied to the FBI about conversations he had with then-ambassador of Russia to the U.S.

While Flynn’s original case centered on statements he made to the FBI, it also included an incident that led to Rafiekian’s legal troubles. Flynn admitted he approved an inaccurate Foreign Agent Registration Act filing. He said he signed off on a $600,000 contract for his Flynn Intel Group to lobby on behalf of a Dutch firm, Inovo BV.

But prosecutors argue that Inovo was actually a front for the Turkish government. The government alleges that the lobbying effort was aimed at an opponent of the Turkish government.

According to Politico, the brief makes several mentions of Flynn’s role in the work that led to the charges against Rafiekian.

The newly filed brief states that Flynn was a co-conspirator in Rafiekian’s crimes and makes no mention of the decision to drop the charges against Flynn.

The Justice Department did not discuss Flynn’s involvement in the Turkey incident in its dismissal of charges against him, according to Politico. A federal appeals court, the D.C. Circuit, is set to hear arguments Friday on whether the case against Flynn should be dismissed or whether his guilty plea should remain.

Flynn’s lead attorney, Sidney Powell, slammed the government’s decision to keep prosecuting Rafiekian.

“Wrongful and wasteful use of scarce taxpayer resources,” she told Politico about the government’s decision to move forward with charges

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