President Pardons Michael Flynn, Ex-National Security Adviser

The president pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Wednesday, ending a yearslong prosecution in the Russia investigation that saw Flynn twice plead guilty to lying to the FBI and then reverse himself before the Justice Department stepped in to dismiss his case (article available here).

The Flynn narrative has swerved from his initial guilty pleas during the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, to Attorney General Barr’s surprise decision in May to drop the charges and the U.S. District Court’s refusal to approve the unusual request.

The pardon spares Flynn the possibility of any prison sentence, which the federal court could have imposed.