by Chuck Ross
President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, bringing to an end a nearly three-year legal battle that began with the retired general’s guilty plea as part of the special counsel’s probe.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon,” Trump tweeted.
It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2020
Flynn pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017 to making false statements to the FBI in January 2017 regarding phone conversations he had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Flynn reiterated his guilty plea during a court hearing in December 2018, but he began angling to withdraw from the agreement months later.
The Justice Department filed a motion on May 7 to drop charges against Flynn, citing evidence that the FBI had withheld from Flynn’s legal team.
Judge Emmet Sullivan, who presided over Flynn’s case, opposed the Justice Department request.
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Chuck Ross is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Michael Flynn” by Michael Flynn.
