US court orders ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn’s case dismissed
- Former national security adviser was accused of lying to the FBI, and had already pleaded guilty – twice
- Flynn was one of several former Trump aides charged under Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election
A US appeal court ordered charges against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn to be dropped on Wednesday, handing the White House a victory in a case that was central to the Russia meddling investigation.
The court endorsed Attorney General William Barr’s extraordinary decision to drop the criminal charges against Flynn even after he had twice pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators, overruling a lower court judge who was ready to sentence Flynn.
Barr’s May 7 decision to drop the charges sparked an open rift in the Justice Department, pitting him against the federal district court judge in the case, Emmet Sullivan, and the department’s own prosecutors.
The move, more than three years after Flynn was first investigated over secret discussions he had with Russia’s envoy in Washington, drew allegations that Barr was doing Trump’s political bidding.
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The decision came just hours before two Justice Department officials appear before a Congressional hearing to discuss politicisation of the Justice Department involving Barr in other cases, including the prosecution of long-time Trump associate Roger Stone.
