US President Donald Trump has pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

“It is my great honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has received a full pardon. Congratulations to En Jenflyn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a wonderful Thanksgiving!” Trump tweeted.

Mr. Flynn, a retired U.S. Army general, pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his dealings with Russia’s ambassador to the United States in the weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration in January 2017.

He tried to withdraw the application, arguing that the prosecutors had violated his rights and that an argument had been breached in the contract.

His sentence has been postponed several times.

This is the highest apology since Trump came to power.

General Michael T. It is my great honor to announce that Flynn has received full forgiveness. Congratulations En Genflin His wonderful family, I know you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving now!

– Donald J. Trump (realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2020

The Republican president has also pardoned soldiers accused of war crimes in Afghanistan. Joe Arpayo, former Arizona sheriff and hard worker against illegal immigration.

Flynn served as Trump’s first national security adviser, but was ousted by the president in early 2017, 24 days after a dispute with then-general Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, then’s ambassador to Russia.

Mr Flynn was one of several former aides to the president who pleaded guilty or was tried at trial by former special counsel Robert Mueller in an investigation into Moscow’s involvement in the 2016 U.S. election to boost Trump’s candidacy.

Russia was asked to intervene.

Flynn said in March that he would strongly consider granting Trump a pardon.

The FBI and the Justice Department cited a vague and unproven report that ruined the lives of Mr Flynn and his family and lost documents related to the former general.

Flynn had to help co-operate with the government as part of his application deal.

However, he later changed his lawyers and tactics, arguing that the prosecutors in the case were lying about the December 2016 conversation with Mr. Kislyak.

The Justice Department has repeatedly denied allegations of prosecutor abuse, and U.S. District Court Judge Emmett Sullivan in December 2019 dismissed all of Mr. Flynn’s claims.

Federal prosecutors had in January asked the judge to sentence him to up to six months in prison. In the argument submitted to the court, “the defendant did not learn his lesson. He acted as if the law did not apply to him, unless there were consequences for his actions.”

Flynn also served as head of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, but was fired in 2014 for his management style and comments on how to fight Islamic terrorism.

He campaigned for Trump in the 2016 election, and led supporters at the Republican National Convention that year, chanting “lock her up” in reference to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump’s other former aides have been convicted of federal crimes following a Russian investigation.

Roger Stone, a longtime friend and adviser to Trump, was sentenced on Feb. 20 to three years and four months in prison. It is alleged that the ambassador provided the information to Hussein.

Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, was sentenced last year to 3.5 years in prison for illegal lobbying and witness fraud. He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison, along with a sentence in one case.

Trump, who lost the November 3 presidential election, will step down from the White House on January 20 when President-elect Joe Biden takes office.