US President Donald Trump has pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
The president said the widely expected act of clemency was his "Great Honor".
Mr Flynn was among former aides to President Trump convicted during a justice department investigation into alleged Russian election interference.
He admitted in 2017 to lying to the FBI about contacts with Russia's envoy, then tried to withdraw his plea.
The White House said on Wednesday that the pardon would finally end "the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man".
Its statement described Mr Flynn as "the victim of partisan government officials engaged in a co-ordinated attempt to subvert the election of 2016".
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
Mr Flynn responded by posting a tweet containing a US flag emoji and a Biblical verse, Jeremiah 1:19.
The verse says: "'They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord."
Mr Flynn's supporters see him as the victim of a political vendetta by the outgoing Obama administration to de-legitimise the incoming Trump administration with unsubstantiated claims of Russian collusion.
A 22-month justice department investigation concluded in 2019 there was no evidence to establish that Mr Trump or any of his associates had conspired with the Kremlin to win the 2016 election.
Earlier this year, Mr Trump commuted the sentence of Roger Stone, another ally who was charged in that special counsel inquiry.
Mr Stone was convicted of lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering, but the Republican president said he had been unfairly targeted in a witch hunt.
Who is Michael Flynn?
The retired US Army three-star lieutenant general was an early and ardent supporter of Mr Trump during the 2016 campaign, though he had been a life-long Democrat before.
Mr Flynn was among the new president's first appointments - Mr Trump brought him on just days after winning the election.
The two saw eye-to-eye on many issues, including the advantages of closer ties with Russia, renegotiating the Iran deal and combating the threat from Islamic State militants.
Mr Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, had warned against hiring Mr Flynn. In 2014, the Obama administration fired Mr Flynn from his role as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, citing issues of mismanagement and temperament.
Mr Flynn, who served three decades in the US Army, complained he was ousted for telling hard truths about the war on Islamist extremism.
How did he fare in the administration?
Mr Flynn lasted just 23 days as national security adviser - the president's chief counsellor on international affairs and defence.
Mr Trump fired him after it emerged that he had discussed lifting sanctions on Russia with Moscow's ambassador to Washington before Mr Trump took office, and misled the vice-president about that conversation.
In March this year, Mr Trump said he was considering pardoning Mr Flynn.
Although he initially agreed to co-operate with prosecutors, Mr Flynn asked to withdraw his guilty plea back in January.
With the help of a new legal team, he had accused prosecutors of misconduct, including withholding evidence.
A Department of Justice review of the case recommended that the charges be dropped. A federal prosecutor appointed by US Attorney General Bill Barr found that the FBI interview of Mr Flynn was "conducted without any legitimate investigative basis".
But when a US federal court did not immediately agree to drop the charges, Mr Flynn's lawyers appealed to compel the judge to comply.
In August, an appeals court sided with the federal court judge, leaving the matter up in the air. But Mr Trump's pardon clears Mr Flynn of the whole case.
What's the reaction?
Republicans described Mr Flynn as a hero who suffered an unfair prosecution.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said: "General Flynn was NOT a Russian agent. Instead, he was the victim of a politically motivated investigation and prosecution where the ends justified the means."
In the US House of Representatives, Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted: "What happened to @GenFlynn was a national disgrace. No American should ever be targeted for simply belonging to a certain political party."
But Democrats swiftly condemned the move.
House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a prepared statement: "This pardon is undeserved, unprincipled, and one more stain on President Trump's rapidly diminishing legacy."
And New Jersey Senator Cory Booker tweeted: "No one should be above the law & that includes the President & his friends."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiM2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS01NTA4MDkyM9IBN2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC93b3JsZC11cy1jYW5hZGEtNTUwODA5MjM?oc=5
2020-11-25 22:22:00Z
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