Several years ago Americans were waiting to see what would happen with the Russia investigation led by Robert Mueller. One of the most significant indictments Mueller made was against the former national security advisor Michael Flynn. In late 2017, Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to charges he had lied to the FBI about his contacts in Russia. A massive effort, led by the Trump administration, to drop the charges against Flynn have been met with many defeats. Finally, with the Trump administration coming to a close, President Donald Trump took the step of pardoning his former national security advisor of all charges brought by the Mueller investigation. The pardon was met with mixed reactions from both sides of the aisle. This article will explain why President Trump decided to pardon Michael Flynn and what this pardon can mean for the Trump administration’s remaining months.
The Justification Behind the Pardon
The argument for why the pardon was justified revolves around the idea that Michael Flynn’s interaction with Russian contacts during the 2016 election was legal. Also, since the interactions were permitted, the FBI had no authority to investigate Michael Flynn. According to experts familiar with the matter, Michael Flynn was a vital member of the Trump transition team and had the authority to hold conversations with officials from Russia. The National Review makes the case that there was no evidence of Michael Flynn trying to undermine decisions made by the Obama administration during these conversations.
Michael Flynn’s legal team also argued that he was pressured to plead guilty for lying to the FBI. Flynn’s legal team made the case that the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn was overly aggressive with the FBI threatening longer prison time and penalties if he did not confess to lying in a federal investigation.
Many government officials welcomed the pardon. Kayleigh McEnany, a spokesperson for the White House, stated her support for the presidential pardon. She said, “The pardon brought an end to the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man.”
The Argument Against the Pardon
The argument against the pardoning of Michael Flynn focuses on his confession of guilt and President Trump using his pardoning powers to save friends and political allies. Legal experts claim that Michael Flynn’s admission of misleading federal investigators about his conversations with Russian officials constitutes a crime and federal prosecutors had the authority to pursue charges against him. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff was outraged by this latest pardon. Here is what Adam Schiff had to say in a statement, “Flynn has chosen loyalty to Trump over loyalty to his country.” A former member of Mueller’s special counsel team Tweeted that pardoning Flynn was removing the rule of law in America.
What Happens Next
The recent pardon of Michael Flynn gives us a good indication of how the Trump administration’s last months will operate. For years Trump and his allies have claimed the Russian probe was a democratic led “witch hunt.” We can expect Trump will spend the next two months trying to reverse any decisions and convictions made during the Russia probe. In length, Adam Schiff spoke about his concerns that Trump will try to shield himself and his allies from prosecution in a statement earlier this week. If the Trump administration has taught us anything, it is that they are unpredictable. The next 60 days could see many other unexpected events take place.
Bibliography
Dawsey, Josh, and Rosalind S Helderman. “Trump Pardons Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Who Pleaded Guilty to Lying to the FBI.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Nov. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/michael-flynn-trump-pardon/2020/11/25/3cd79198-2e65-11eb-bae0-50bb17126614_story.html.
Editors, The. “A Justified Pardon.” National Review, National Review, 29 Nov. 2020, www.nationalreview.com/2020/11/michael-flynn-pardon-justified/.
News, NBC. “Michael Flynn: Timeline of His Rise, Fall and Guilty Plea.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 5 Dec. 2018, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mike-flynn-timeline-his-rise-fall-russia-call-n720671.
Savage, Charlie. “Trump Pardons Michael Flynn, Ending Case His Justice Dept. Sought to Shut Down.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Nov. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/us/politics/michael-flynn-pardon.html.
