DOJ reached deal to pay ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn

Zoe Tillman, Bloomberg News on Mar 25, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department has reached a financial settlement with Michael Flynn, a conservative activist and former official in the first Trump administration who sought millions of dollars from the government for what he alleged was a wrongful prosecution effort.

Lawyers for the government and for Flynn notified a federal judge in Florida on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement and that it would involve the payment of “settlement funds,” but didn’t disclose the amount or any other terms.

The settlement marks a complete reversal by the Justice Department, which had successfully fought Flynn’s case in the past. The Trump administration has faced scrutiny for how officials are handling demands for payouts from its political allies as well as the president himself.

President Donald Trump is pursuing administrative claims for $230 million in compensation for past investigations into his 2016 campaign and his handling of classified material after he left the White House in 2021, the New York Times reported.

“Nothing can fully compensate for the hell that my family and I have endured over these many years — the relentless attacks, the destruction of reputations, the financial ruin, and the profound personal toll inflicted upon us all,” Flynn said in a statement issued by his lawyer, Jesse Binnall. “No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecution that should never have been brought.”

The Justice Department in a statement described the settlement as an “important step in redressing” the “historic injustice” of former Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and, separately, whether there was a connection to Trump’s campaign.

The U.S. government and federal employees are generally immune from being sued for official conduct, but there are exceptions for allegations of personal injuries or property damage. Individuals have to file claims with an agency and wait at least six months before they can file a lawsuit, which is the process that Flynn followed.

National security adviser

Flynn briefly served as Trump’s first national security adviser. In a 2023 lawsuit for $50 million, he alleged he was the victim of a politically motivated probe and prosecution by Mueller’s team.

Flynn originally pleaded guilty to lying about his conversations with a Russian official, but later fought the prosecution, echoing Trump’s attacks on Mueller and his work. In response to news this month that Mueller had died, Trump posted on social media, “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.” Trump pardoned Flynn in 2020.

The Justice Department initially opposed Flynn’s civil lawsuit. A judge dismissed the complaint in late 2024, but said that Flynn could have a chance to try to revise it. Late last year, the Justice Department told the judge that it was in settlement talks with Flynn and asked to pause deadlines in the case.

Binnall, who has represented Trump in the past, is handling a separate lawsuit filed by former senior White House lawyer Stefan Passantino seeking money damages for what he claims was a leak of private information by a House committee investigating the 2020 election. The government separately has been in settlement talks with Passantino, according to court filings.

Last year, the Justice Department reached a nearly $5 million settlement with the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a police officer inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, amid demonstrations and rioting by Trump’s supporters over Congress’ certification of former President Joe Biden’s election win.

Hundreds of people prosecuted in connection with the Jan. 6 riots and breach of the Capitol are pursuing administrative claims for millions of dollars from the administration. Trump granted clemency to the vast majority of individuals charged or convicted on his first day in office, but hasn’t publicly committed to paying them what they contend they’re owed.

The case is Flynn v. United States, 23-cv-485, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida (Tampa).

_____