The Department of Justice (DOJ) reached a settlement Wednesday with Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor to President Donald Trump, over a legal battle tied to his contacts with a Russian diplomat during the Mueller probe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Official court papers seen by Fox News Digital do not disclose the financial terms of the settlement, but the government is said to be paying Flynn approximately $1.2 million to resolve the matter, The Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The agreement concludes a lengthy legal saga stemming from the Russia investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017, to giving false statements to the FBI about his communications with Russia\u2019s ambassador to the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those discussions included Russia\u2019s response to U.S. sanctions and a United Nations Security Council resolution regarding Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The charge stemmed from Robert Mueller\u2019s investigation into Russian election interference and possible links between Trump campaign officials and Russian figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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, a probe that shadowed much of Trump\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He brought charges against multiple Trump associates, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Flynn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His final report detailed extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, but did not establish a criminal conspiracy. Flynn later sought to withdraw his guilty plea and accused federal prosecutors of acting in bad faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By 2019, he claimed innocence, citing alleged FBI misconduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Flynn was pardoned by Trump in late 2020, he filed a lawsuit in 2023 seeking at least $50 million in damages, alleging wrongful and malicious prosecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He argued the case, brought by what he described as a “virulently anti-Trump leadership” within the FBI, cost him tens of millions of dollars in business opportunities and future earning potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the previous administration, the DOJ moved to dismiss Flynn\u2019s complaint. Now, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, a critic of the Russia probe, the department changed course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, the DOJ called the settlement an “important step in redressing” what it described as a “historic injustice,” The Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spokesperson said the department will pursue accountability to ensure such “weaponization of the federal government” does not recur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a notice of settlement filed in the Middle District of Florida, the case will be dismissed with prejudice once Flynn confirms receipt of the funds, preventing the claims from being refiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The filing states each party will bear its own legal costs and that the court will not retain jurisdiction over the agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n