US election: Donald Trump pardons disgraced adviser Michael Flynn

Donald Trump has pardoned Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI over his Russian contacts.

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves court in Washington. Picture: AFP.

Donald Trump has pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn whose long legal battle with the FBI energised American conservatives.

“It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon,” the president tweeted. “Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!”

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

The move is expected to be the first in a series of presidential pardons which Mr Trump is likely to make before he leaves office and comes after he commuted the sentence of long-time adviser Roger Stone in July.

Mr Flynn was national security adviser for just 24 days after Mr Trump took office in 2017. He was sacked by the president amid questions about his contacts with Russian ambassador to the US in late 2016.

Mr Flynn subsequently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian but his allies later claimed that he had been set up by the FBI.

In 2018 Mr Flynn fired his legal team, rescinded his guilty plea and accused the FBI and the Justice Department of entrapping him.

Mr Trump, who has been highly critical of the FBI’s Russia investigation, accused the FBI of mounting a ‘coup’ against Mr Flynn who quickly became a hero in conservative political circles in the US.

This year Attorney General Bill Barr said prosecutors should not have brought the case against Mr Flynn and had pushed to have it dismissed.

That request was pending before court when Mr Trump issued his pardon on Thursday (AEDT). The move means that the justice Department can no longer pursue its investigation into Mr Flynn, including after Joe Biden becomes president in January.