Michael Flynn has fired his attorneys -- and at least one legal expert thinks he may be making a last-ditch effort to avoid prison.
The retired U.S. Army general and former Trump campaign adviser has notified his at Covington & Burling that he is firing them and has already hired new counsel, and CNN legal analyst Elie Honig speculated what that move might mean.
"Strange move by Flynn," Honig tweeted. "Two thoughts: (1) classic delay tactic to fire attorneys this late in the game and (2) could be setting up to try to withdraw his guilty plea - a desperate move that almost never works."
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators Jan. 24, 2017, about his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak the previous month to discuss the possibility of easing sanctions against Kremlin-linked oligarchs.
He agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his guilty plea, and has not yet been sentenced.
President Donald Trump's former attorney John Dowd left a recently released voice mail with Flynn's attorney in November 2017, days before his guilty plea, signaling the possibility of a pardon and asking for information about his cooperation with the investigation.