President Trump reportedly plans to pardon retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser who previously pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI.
Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to FBI investigators about his December 2016 conversations with a Russian agent. Trump, who is set to pardon a number of people, will include Flynn in the lineup, according to Axios, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
Former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation focused in part on talks Flynn had with former Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak regarding sanctions. He allegedly lied to the FBI about discussing sanctions, a charge to which he pleaded guilty, at least for about two years.
During the summer of 2019, Flynn changed legal teams and claimed innocence, saying the FBI had set him up and exculpatory evidence had been concealed. He ultimately withdrew his guilty plea.
Sidney Powell, Flynn’s attorney who has also been doing work for Trump’s legal team, argued that the judge presiding over the case’s alleged bias against Flynn is “terrifying and mandates disqualification.” Powell said at a September hearing that she had recently spoken with Trump to update him on the case and requested that he “not issue a pardon” for Flynn.
