Michael Flynn, who received a full pardon from President Trump on Wednesday, described it as a “Pardon of Innocence,” while the former Army lieutenant general’s family praised the commander-in-chief and said the move proves “tyranny” will not prevail.
“This ‘Pardon of Innocence’ is historic, sincerely appreciated & should never happen in our country again. I will issue a personal statement later today,” Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, said on Twitter Thursday morning.
He also included a Bible verse in the post: “1 Chronicles 16:32–34.”
It says, “Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Flynn’s family released a statement on Wednesday.
“We are forever appreciative to President Trump for giving back to Michael his freedom in undoing a hideous wrong,” the family’s statement said.
“Let it be heard across this great country and around the world that tyranny will not topple us. Masks will not silence us. Threats will not stop us. Evil will not triumph. We are Americans,” it continued.
Flynn’s lawyer Sidney Powell called the prosecution against her client “one of the most egregious injustices I’ve witnessed in American history.”
“Enough was enough. We had passed the point of proving General Flynn’s innocence, all of the evidence we’ve gotten since I joined the case shows that, and it was high time that he be exonerated of all these charges,” she told Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, blasted Trump for pardoning Flynn.
“Donald Trump has repeatedly abused the pardon power to reward friends and protect those who covered up for him. This time he pardons Michael Flynn, who lied to hide his dealings with the Russians. It’s no surprise that Trump would go out as he came in — Crooked to the end,” the California Democrat tweeted.
Trump announced on Twitter that he would pardon Flynn, who was charged for lying to the FBI about his contacts in 2016 with the then-Russian ambassador.