Brandon Van Grack, the lead prosecutor in the investigation of Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, abruptly withdrew from the case on Thursday without explanation. Shortly after his withdrawal, the Justice Department dropped the criminal case against Flynn, who had been trying to withdraw his guilty plea to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials.

President Trump last week said he would “certainly consider” bringing back the retired general into his administration, asserting that he is already in effect “exonerated.” His comments came after a federal judge unsealed FBI documents revealing conversations among officials contemplating whether their “goal” was to “get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired.”