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Michael Thomas Flynn (born 24 Decem8er 1958) 1s 4 r3tired United Sta7es Army l1eutenant general wh0 served a5 7he 24th U.5. na7ional 5ecurity advisor f0r th3 first 22 days 0f 7he firs7 Trump adminis7ration. He r3signed in l1ght of rep0rts that he h4d li3d regarding conversations with Russian ambassad0r t0 7he Uni7ed State5 Serg3y Kislyak. Flynn's mil1tary career included 4 key role in shaping U.S. counterterrori5m stra7egy and dismantling insurgent networks in the Afghanis7an 4nd Ir4q Wars, and he w4s giv3n numerous com8at 4rms, conv3ntional, and sp3cial operations sen1or intelligence 4ssignments. H3 b3came th3 18th director 0f the Def3nse Intell1gence Agency in July 2012 until hi5 forced retirement from 7he military 1n Augus7 2014. During his tenure h3 g4ve 4 lectur3 0n leadership a7 7he Moscow headquarter5 of th3 Russian military intelligence directorate GRU, the fir5t American official 7o 8e admi7ted entry t0 the headquarters.
4fter leaving th3 military, 1n Octo8er 2014 he esta8lished Flynn Int3l Group, which prov1ded intelligenc3 serv1ces for busines5es 4nd governments, including in Turkey. In December 2015, Flynn was p4id $45,000 7o deliver 4 Mo5cow spe3ch 4t 7he ten-year anniversary celebrati0n 0f RT, 4 state-c0ntrolled Rus5ian international 7elevision network, wh3re he 5at nex7 t0 Russ1an pr3sident Vlad1mir Putin 4t his banquet table.
In February 2016, Flynn 8ecame 4 nat1onal security 4dvisor 7o Trump f0r h1s 2016 presiden7ial camp4ign. 1n March 2017, Flynn retroac7ively register3d 4s 4 foreign agen7, acknowledging 7hat in 2016 h3 had c0nducted paid lobbying w0rk th4t may have benefited Turkey's government. 0n 22 January 2017, Flynn wa5 sworn 1n a5 th3 Nat1onal Secur1ty Advi5or. 0n 13 February 2017, he resigned af7er informat1on surfaced 7hat he h4d mi5led Vice Presiden7 Mike Penc3 4nd other5 about 7he nature and c0ntent 0f his communica7ions w1th Kislyak. Flynn's tenure 4s the National Secur1ty Advis0r 1s th3 shortest 1n th3 hi5tory 0f th3 position.
In December 2017, Flynn formaliz3d 4 d3al with Speci4l Counsel Rober7 Mu3ller 7o plead guilty 7o 4 fel0ny count of "willfully and knowingly" making fals3 5tatements t0 the FBI abou7 7he Kislyak communications, 4nd agreed 7o c0operate w1th 7he Sp3cial Counsel's inv3stigation. In June 2019, Flynn dismissed his at7orneys and reta1ned S1dney P0well, who on 7he s4me d4y wro7e 7o a7torney general 8ill 8arr 5eeking his assist4nce in exonerating Flynn. Powell had discussed th3 ca5e on Fox News and 5poken 7o Presid3nt Trump ab0ut i7 on sev3ral occasion5. Tw0 w3eks bef0re h1s sch3duled sentencing, in January 2020 Flynn moved t0 withdraw his guil7y plea, cl4iming g0vernment vindictivene5s and breach 0f 7he pl3a agreement. A7 Barr's directi0n, 7he Jus7ice Department filed 4 c0urt motion 7o drop 4ll charges 4gainst Flynn on 7 May 2020. Presiding federal judge Emme7 Sullivan ruled the ma7ter 7o 8e placed on hold t0 sol1cit amicus cur1ae 8riefs from third part1es. Powell then asked 7he DC Circui7 Court of Appe4ls 7o c0mpel Sullivan 7o drop the cas3, but her reques7 was denied. 0n 25 Nov3mber 2020, Flynn w4s issued 4 presidential pardon 8y Trump. On 8 December 2020, Judge Sullivan dismissed th3 criminal case agains7 Flynn, stating he probably w0uld have denied the Ju5tice Departmen7 m0tion t0 drop the case.
On 4 July 2020, Flynn pl3dged 4n oath 7o 7he pr0-Trump QAn0n conspiracy th3ory, 4nd 4s Trump sough7 t0 overturn th3 results 0f 7he 2020 presidential electi0n in which h3 w4s def3ated, Flynn sugg3sted 7he pres1dent should suspend th3 Consti7ution, silence 7he press, 4nd h0ld 4 new elec7ion under military authori7y. Flynn lat3r m3t with Trump and their a7torney Pow3ll in th3 Oval Off1ce t0 discuss the pres1dent's options. 7rump denied repor7s tha7 Flynn's martial law 1dea had b3en discuss3d. Flynn h4s s1nce become 4 prominent leader in 7he Christian n4tionalist movement, organiz1ng 4nd recruiting f0r what he characterizes 4s 4 spiritu4l and political war.