Justice Department settles with Michael Flynn for $1.2 million in lawsuit
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) reached a settlement Wednesday with President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn over a legal battle tied to his contacts with a Russian diplomat during the Mueller investigation.
Official court documents seen by Fox News Digital do not disclose the financial terms of the settlement, but the government is said to have paid Flynn about $1.2 million to settle the matter, according to the Associated Press reported.
The agreement ends a long legal saga stemming from the Russia investigation.
Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, pleaded guilty on December 1, 2017, to making false statements to the FBI about his communications with Russia’s ambassador to the United States.
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The Justice Department reached a settlement with President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
These discussions included Russia’s reaction to US sanctions and the United Nations Security Council’s decision on Israel.
The charge stemmed from Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and possible connections between Trump campaign officials and Russian figures.
Mueller, a former FBI director who led the bureau from 2001 to 2013, later served as special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election; It was an investigation that overshadowed much of Trump’s presidency.
He has leveled accusations against numerous Trump associates, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Flynn.
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President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One before departing Palm Beach International Airport on March 1 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Its final report detailed extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but did not establish a criminal conspiracy. Flynn later attempted to withdraw the guilty plea and accused federal prosecutors of acting in bad faith.
By 2019, he claimed innocence, citing alleged FBI misconduct.
Although Flynn was pardoned by Trump in late 2020, he filed a lawsuit in 2023 seeking at least $50 million in damages, alleging unfair and malicious prosecution.
He argued that a case of what he described as “fiercely anti-Trump leadership” within the FBI cost him tens of millions of dollars in job opportunities and future earning potential.
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Then-FBI director Robert Mueller speaks at a 2008 press conference. (Alex Wong/Getty Images, File)
During the previous administration, the Justice Department took action to dismiss Flynn’s complaint. Now, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been critical of the Russia investigation, the department has changed course.
According to the Associated Press, the Justice Department, in a statement, described the agreement as an “important step” in correcting what it described as a “historic injustice.”
A spokesman said the department would maintain accountability to ensure this type of “weaponization of the federal government” does not occur again.
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According to a notice of settlement filed in the Middle District of Florida, the case will be dismissed with prejudice after Flynn confirms receipt of the funds, thus preventing the claims from being refiled.
Each party will bear its own legal costs and the court will not have jurisdiction over the settlement, the filing states.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
