Judge puts DOJ move to dismiss Flynn's guilty plea on hold

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said Tuesday that before he decides whether to dismiss charges against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, he will let third parties submit filings in the case.

Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI. He changed legal teams and now claims he was pressured into entering the plea. Last week, the Justice Department moved to drop Flynn's case, citing "newly discovered and disclosed information."

Sullivan said the third party briefings will give the court more information on the case and could help shape his decision, and he expects the filings to come from "individuals and organizations."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The Justice Department's move outraged former employees, with nearly 2,000 signing a letter earlier this week calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign over his handling of the case, saying he "once again assaulted the rule of law."