Vice President Mike Pence says he would not have a problem with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn joining President Donald Trump’s administration again.
In an interview with “Axios on HBO,” Pence was asked if he was “fine” with the idea of Trump giving Flynn a post in the administration. Pence responded, “I think General Michael Flynn is an American patriot, and he served this country with great distinction in uniform.”
“And now, I believe the decision by the Justice Department lays bare what was clearly prosecutorial abuse, and for my part, I’d be happy to see Michael Flynn again,” Pence added.
Watch the video below:
The interview, set to air on Monday night, comes days after the Justice Department filed a motion in court that sought to drop the prosecution of Flynn, as IJR reported.
Flynn was facing prosecution for making false statements to the FBI during an interview at the White House in 2017. But in its filing on May 7, the department wrote, “We do not believe that the Government can prove either the relevant false statements or their materiality beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Flynn had pled guilty to the charge, but earlier this year sought to withdraw his plea.
The Justice Department’s decision came after a series of newly released documents raised questions about the FBI’s handling of the case against Flynn.
After several pages of internal FBI documents related to the Flynn case were released, Trump said he would “certainly consider” giving Flynn a post in his administration. He also said he believed Flynn would be exonerated.
Flynn was removed from his position in 2017 after he reportedly lied to Pence about a phone call he had with the Russian ambassador — Sergey Kislyak.
Earlier this month, Pence was asked about Flynn’s case, and he said, “I’m deeply troubled by the revelations of what appears to have been investigative abuse by officials in the Justice Department, and we are going to continue to look into that very carefully.”
He added, “I know what Gen. Flynn told me, and I’m more inclined to believe it was unintentional than ever before.”
The move to seek to drop the prosecution drew swift criticism from Democrats who demanded answers about the decision, and claimed it was evidence of a politicized Justice Department.