Michael Flynn
Michael FlynnReuters

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had pardoned his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

"It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to General Flynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!" he tweeted.

Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to misleading the FBI about his contact with Russia. Trump asked for Flynn’s resignation ten months earlier, after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with the Russian Ambassador to the US.

Despite two guilty pleas from Flynn, the prosecution came under scrutiny after the release of FBI documents that indicated a plot to get Flynn to lie.

Following those revelations, Trump's Justice Department moved to drop its case against him but has since encountered hurdles in court. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in August rejected Flynn's plea to force a federal judge to drop his criminal case.

Trump’s pardon follows reports on Tuesday night that he intended to pardon Flynn, one in a series to be issued before he leaves office.