Justice department to pay settlement to Trump ally Michael Flynn

The US justice department has reached a financial settlement with Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after he sued the government alleging wrongful prosecution. In 2023, Flynn sued the department for $50m (£37.4m), accusing it of targeting him because of his association with Trump's 2016 campaign. The retired Army lieutenant general had pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to the FBI as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump, who repeatedly defended Flynn as an "innocent man", pardoned him in 2020. A Department of Justice spokesperson said on Wednesday that the settlement had redressed a "historic injustice". "Those who instigated the Russia Collusion Hoax and Crossfire Hurricane abused their power to mislead the American people and tarnish the reputations of President Trump and his supporters," the DOJ spokesperson said, referring to the FBI's investigation inquiry into Russia's attempts to meddle in the 2016 election. The DOJ would "continue to pursue accountability at all levels for this wrongdoing". In a statement, Flynn said that, "No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecu