On Thursday, President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor Michael Flynn offered his testimony over possible Russian ties to Trump’s campaign in exchange for immunity.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has reportedly stated that the members will not accept his off “at this time.”
Flynn resigned from his position in February when reports revealed he misled Vice President Mike Pence about conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The phone call took place on the same day that former President Barack Obama passed sanctions on Russia for interfering with the election.
One official told NBC News that the phone call included discussions about the sanctions. Flynn denied the allegations to The Washington Post, but then changed his mind and said he could not remember if sanctions ever came up.
From NBC News:
A senior congressional official with direct knowledge said Flynn’s lawyer was told it was “wildly preliminary” and that immunity was “not on the table” at the moment. A second source said the committee communicated that it is “not receptive” to Flynn’s request “at this time.”The senior congressional official also said that Flynn’s lawyer had conveyed the offer of testimony in exchange for immunity from prosecution to the Justice Department.
Trump defended Flynn on Twitter this morning:
Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) has stated that he considers Flynn one witness for the committee’s investigation. Burr said the committee has reached out to 20 people and have interviewed five of them.
Flynn’s attorney told The Wall Street Journal that his client will speak to the intelligence committees in the House and Senate as long as he won’t be prosecuted:
Mr. Flynn’s attorney, Robert Kelner, wouldn’t comment on details of his discussions involving Mr. Flynn, but noted he is a decorated Army veteran with a lifetime of public service. “General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit,” Mr. Kelner said.
The FBI has been investigating the possibility of Russian interference with our presidential election. Agents have also looked into Flynn’s conversations with the ambassador to see if there was any collusion “with Russian officials who are alleged to have interfered with the presidential election.”
WSJ also pointed out that three Russian companies paid Flynn tens of thousands of dollars, “including the state-sponsored media network RT, for speeches he made shortly before he became a formal adviser to Mr. Trump’s campaign.”
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