Just as it’s becoming increasingly clear that Donald Trump’s White House is engaged in a widespread cover-up of the administration’s troubling and scandalous ties to Russia, the Senate Intelligence Committee has issued a subpoena to Michael Flynn for Russia-related documents he has refused to hand over.
BREAKING: Senate committee subpoenas Michael Flynn for documents regarding his interactions with Russian officials https://t.co/KBJuwlq7A0 pic.twitter.com/Hqyct4bE03
— CNN (@CNN) May 10, 2017
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In a joint, bipartisan statement, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner and GOP Sen. Richard Burr said that the subpoena is being issued because Flynn is refusing to cooperate and hand over the records on his own accord.
Full statement from Sens. Warner and Burr:
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced that Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today issued a subpoena for former National Security Advisor Lieutenant General Michael Flynn. The subpoena requests documents relevant to the Committee’s investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election. The Committee first requested these documents in an April 28, 2017 letter to Lieutenant General Flynn, but he declined, through counsel, to cooperate with the Committee’s request.
The bipartisan move by the Senate Intelligence Committee to force Flynn to hand over all records – phone calls, emails, and other meetings – related to Russia suggests that they are unfazed by Trump’s power play to fire now-former FBI Director James Comey.
This comes at the worst possible time for Trump, as the Comey fiasco suggests he wants to throw the investigation off track – or end it altogether by hand-picking an FBI director who will do his bidding.
But the president’s removal of Comey from his position has completely backfired. Instead of bullying key players in the Russia investigation into backing off the scandal or throwing it off track, he has emboldened leaders of both parties to take it more seriously.
The move by the Senate Intelligence Committee to kick their investigation up a notch is the first in what will likely be many more steps to hold this administration’s feet to the fire as they continue to obstruct this process and cover up a major scandal.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
