Trump Pardons Michael Flynn

Democrats were outraged by the move to protect a former associate who pleaded guilty to lying about contacts with Russian operatives, calling it ‘crooked’ and an abuse of power.

Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he speaks with retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn during a town hall in 2016. Trump has pardoned Flynn in the final days of his administration.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP announced late in the afternoon the day before Thanksgiving that he intends to pardon Michael Flynn, the retired Army lieutenant general who served as his first national security adviser for three weeks and who pleaded guilty twice to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with Russian officials.

"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!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

It was not immediately clear for what crimes Trump would pardon Flynn or when. Flynn first pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI, one of the many convictions or guilty pleas to come from former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian ties to the Trump campaign. Flynn has since attempted to withdraw the plea, arguing he was tricked into accepting a plea agreement.

Wednesday's announcements will serve as arguably the highest profile pardon Trump has issued during his tenure. He has previously granted clemency to other close campaign associates who faced criminal proceedings, including notorious Republican operative Roger Stone.

It also represents perhaps the most tangible – if indirect – acknowledgement from the president that his term is coming to an end, despite repeated claims that he, in fact, won the election earlier this month and that the only reason President-elect Joe Biden garnered more votes is due to widespread corruption.

Axios first reported that Trump was considering the pardon. He has previously hinted at such a move, including in March when he said the FBI and the Justice Department under his administration had "destroyed" the lives of Flynn and his family.

Democrats on Capitol Hill reacted swiftly to the president's move.

"Donald Trump has abused the pardon power to reward his friends and political allies, and protect those who lie to cover up for him. This time, Trump has once again abused the pardon power to reward Michael Flynn, who chose loyalty to Trump over loyalty to his country," Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

A pardon does not erase the fact that Flynn lied about coordinating with Russian operatives, said Schiff, who has helped introduce legislation that would limit presidents from using pardons, or the promise of one, as Trump has.

"It's no surprise that Trump would go out just as he came in – crooked to the end," Schiff said.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called the pardon "undeserved, unprincipled, and one more stain on President Trump's rapidly diminishing legacy."

"It is important to talk about why the president pardoned Flynn," the New York Democrat said in a statement. "President Trump dangled this pardon to encourage Flynn to backtrack on his pledge to cooperate with federal investigators – cooperation that might have exposed the President's own wrongdoing. And it worked. Flynn broke his deal, recanted his plea, received the backing of the attorney general over the objections of career prosecutors, and now has secured a pardon from the President of the United States."

Nadler hinted at widespread speculation that Trump will accelerate granting pardons in the final weeks of his presidency, particularly for close political associates.

"The president's enablers have constructed an elaborate narrative in which Trump and Flynn are victims and the Constitution is subject to the whims of the President. Americans soundly rejected this nonsense when they voted out President Trump. President-Elect Biden will soon take office and restore a measure of honor to the Office of the President. Between now and then, we must be vigilant to additional abuses of power, even as we look with hope to days to come," he said.

Some Republicans supported the move. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, tweeted, "What happened to @GenFlynn was a national disgrace. No American should ever be targeted for simply belonging to a certain political party. President @realDonaldTrump is right to pardon the respected three-star general."

GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, added of McCarthy's statement, "This should never happen to another American!"