UPDATE 1-U.S. judge hearing Flynn case asks appeals court to reconsider dismissal

(Adds background on case)

By Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - The judge hearing the criminal prosecution against U.S. President Donald Trump's former adviser Michael Flynn on Thursday asked an appeals court to reconsider a recent decision dismissing the case.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan asked the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reconsider the June 24 decision that directed him to drop the Flynn case.

The Justice Department sought to dismiss the case against Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser, following pressure from Trump and his allies, leading to criticism that Attorney General William Barr was using his office to help the president's friends.

Sullivan refused to immediately sign off on the dismissal, instead appointing a retired judge to argue in favor of denying the Justice Department's request.

Last month, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit directed Sullivan to grant the department's motion to clear Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Leslie Adlerand Richard Chang)