Appeals court orders dismissal of Michael Flynn prosecution

(AP) — A federal appeals court has ordered the dismissal of the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said in a 2-1 ruling that the Justice Department’s decision to abandon the case against Flynn settles the matter, even though Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan had declined to immediately dismiss the case, seeking instead to evaluate on his own the department’s unusual dismissal request. Wednesday’s ruling cuts short what could have been a protracted legal fight to dissect the basis for the government’s dismissal of the case.