The very adept, if completely phony, jurist had created, quite cleverly, a pose as a very competent, non-partisan, seeker only of ‘justice’.
Emmet Sullivan conned a lot of people, mostly Republicans, some conservatives, and nearly all “moderates” (otherwise defined as ‘reasonably un- or mis-informed’.
Named to various judicial ‘benches’ by both Republican and Democrat presidents (to his present perch as federal judge by W.J. Clinton), Sullivan concealed his left liberal impulses rather smartly. His decisions, at first glance, often appeared to be reasoned, remarkably humble (for a judge anyway), and without obvious ideological fervor.
His penultimate action in the Ted Stevens case was hailed at the time as true jurisprudence without political scent. He called out the prosecutors for misconduct in the case against a popular GOP senator, threw out their unconscionable conviction, and brought a contempt charge against them.
But beneath all that seemingly justified rage against what many saw as a liberal establishment was the traditional ‘nothing burger’.
During Stevens’ trial, Judge Sullivan, himself, rejected a defense effort to get a dismissal for a “Brady” violation (prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence)…and the trial resulted in the wrongful conviction...just in time for Stevens to lose a reelection bid he almost surely would have otherwise won.
Sullivan’s “daring” action against the wrongdoing of the trial prosecutors was too late to do anything for the defeated and later deceased Ted Stevens…the Democrats had rid the senate of their Republican nemesis, and eventually the contempt” charge against the Obama era prosecutors was dropped.
There were other instances in which Sullivan’s “Presto Change-o” act successfully conned both conservatives and liberals into falling for his “straight-up”, “no-nonsense” pose.
But if you’ve followed, even mildly close, Judge Sullivan’s performance in the Flynn Fiasco, and especially his bizarre behavior of the last few days, one would have to conclude that ‘good ol’ Emmet has lost a good bit of his ‘magic act’.
Nothing about his behavior this week has been anything other than “non-sensical”!
His invitation to outside parties to submit “amicus briefs” to help shape his ultimate decision sounds a lot like an almost pitiful cry for help. Poor Emmet, he knows what he wants to do…get Flynn!…but the poor guy needs help figuring out how to do it and still appear to be an ‘upstanding’ member of the bar of Justice.
Emmet Sullivan seems to be auditioning for his next gig..personal assistant to Joe Biden! dlh
