Flynn lawyer says she asked Trump not to pardon his former national security adviser

The lawyer, Sidney Powell, said she recently discussed the Flynn case with the President and with a Trump campaign lawyer. Powell said she asked Trump not to pardon Flynn.

"I spoke with Jenna Ellis and with the President himself to provide a brief update on the status of the litigation within the last couple of weeks," Powell said.

Powell revealed the conversations during intense questioning by Judge Emmet Sullivan, who is overseeing the case and weighing whether to grant the Justice Department's request to drop the criminal charge against Flynn for lying to the FBI about conversations with Russia during the presidential transition. Powell initially refused to answer the question, citing executive privilege, before acknowledging her conversation with Trump.

She denied that she asked Trump to order Attorney General William Barr to take any actions regarding the case. She said she did ask the President not to issue a pardon for her client.

The case has been plagued by allegations of politicization. A court-appointed lawyer argued that the Justice Department decided to drop the case because Flynn is a political ally and friend of Trump.

Sullivan has made clear he might consider sentencing Flynn for his lies, which he pleaded guilty to under oath almost three years ago. A third-party lawyer, former federal judge John Gleeson, will be in court as well to argue the legal path Sullivan could take to keep the case alive and sentence Flynn.