WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department says it will not oppose probation for former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn.

It’s a more lenient stance than prosecutors took earlier this month, when they said he deserved prison time.

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The latest sentencing filing still seeks a sentence of up six months. But unlike before, prosecutors explicitly state that probation would be a “reasonable” punishment and that they would not oppose it.

It was not clear why the Justice Department appeared to soften its position, though prosecutors did suggest Flynn deserves credit for his decades-long military service.