UPDATE - Trump pardons former adviser Michael Flynn

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump granted his former national security adviser Michael Flynn a "full pardon" Wednesday.

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

The news came after CNN reported that besides Flynn, there have been discussions at the White House on pardoning several people among Trump's close circle.

Flynn was under investigation in February 2017 for a phone call with the Russian ambassador to the US and resigned from his post a few weeks later.

In late 2017, he pled guilty to lying to the FBI during Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

In early May of this year, the Justice Department made an exceptionally rare move to dismiss the case against him.

The White House said in a statement Wednesday that the pardon "achieves that objective, finally bringing to an end the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man.”

"Flynn was the victim of partisan government officials engaged in a coordinated attempt to subvert the election of 2016," it added.

Ahead of Trump's announcement, Flynn tweeted a Bible verse, Jeremiah 1:19, and an American flag.

"They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," read the verse.