A federal appeals court has ordered a judge to dismiss the government's case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, marking an abrupt end to a years-long legal fight.
The New York Times and CNN confirmed the ruling Wednesday morning.
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017 about his conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak as President Donald Trump prepared to take office after winning the 2016 election. He attempted to withdraw his guilty plea earlier this year, and in May, the Justice Department dropped all charges against him.
Upon the Justice Department's decision, the judge in the case, Judge Emmet Sullivan, chose not to dismiss the case immediately. Instead, he sought counsel from the court of appeals. On Wednesday, a panel of three judges ruled that Sullivan did not have adequate reason to question the Justice Department's decision.
