Washington (CNN) A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a jury's guilty verdict against Michael Flynn's lobbying partner Bijan Kian, citing insufficient evidence.

Kian was convicted this summer of illegally acting as a foreign agent and conspiring to hide his work from the Justice Department -- fallout from pro-Turkey lobbying he did with Flynn in 2016.

"Bijan and his family are relieved and looking forward to getting on with their lives," said Kian's defense attorney Mark MacDougall. "We are all grateful to the court. Our system is still sturdy and, in this case, justice has been done."

Judge Anthony Trenga in the Eastern District of Virginia said Kian could face a new trial if prosecutors are successful in an appeal of his decision, if they choose to make one. Trenga said that if his ruling is thrown out or reversed on appeal, Kian should get a new trial because the jury wasn't given adequate instructions especially about Flynn's role.

The Justice Department's National Security Division did not immediately comment on the ruling. The office played a role in bringing the foreign lobbying case against Kian, and the unrelated case against former White House counsel Greg Craig, which ended in a jury verdict of not guilty. Both Craig and Kian were part of a recent push by the Justice Department to strengthen its enforcement against foreign lobbying crimes.

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