Not only are House Democrats accusing Mike Flynn of lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts and trips, but they are also very interested in what Vice President Mike Pence knew, and when he knew it.
In a letter to House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wrote:
We need to know what the President, Vice President, White House Counsel, and other top officials knew about General Flynn—and when they knew it,
The Oversight Committee has in our possession documents that appear to indicate that General Flynn lied to the investigators who interviewed him in 2016 as part of his security clearance renewal,†Cummings wrote. “Specifically, the Committee has obtained a Report of Investigation dated March 14, 2016, showing that General Flynn told security clearance investigators that he was paid by ‘U.S. companies’ when he traveled to Moscow in December 2015 to dine at a gala with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The actual source of the funds for General Flynn’s trip was not a U.S. company, but the Russian media propaganda arm, RT.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Democrats want to know what Trump, Pence, and other members of the White House knew, and when they knew it.
House Oversight Democrats are demanding that Chaffetz must subpoena the documents from the White House in order to find out what the White House was told about Flynn’s contacts and trips.
The letter also accuses Chaffetz of holding up the investigation by not subpoenaing the records, “In refusing our requests for a subpoena, you have made the same argument as President Trump — that you believe the White House bears no responsibility for vetting General Flynn for the position of National Security Advisor because he received his latest security clearance renewal under the Obama Administration in early 2016.”
The media has seized on the part of the story about Flynn lying to the FBI, which is important, but what wasn’t noticed was that this was the first time that Vice President Pence has been name-dropped in one of these letters in connection to Flynn.
Vice President Pence isn’t innocent. He is a key figure in this scandal. It was Pence who didn’t vet Flynn, and it was Pence who as the head of the transition team, gave Flynn’s hiring the green light. Much of this scandal has been focused on Donald Trump, but Mike Pence’s name has been brought into the story. Investigators are very interested in what Pence knew and when he knew it.
Republicans who think that Pence is going to save if Trump is impeached are kidding themselves. If Trump goes down for Russia, Mike Pence is going with him.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
