WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn declined on Monday to comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigates possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Flynn invoked his Fifth Amendment constitutional protection against self-incrimination, according to a letter to the Senate committee from his attorney, which was seen by Reuters.

Flynn’s attorneys did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The retired lieutenant general is a key witness in the Russia probe, which has roiled the first months of President Donald Trump’s presidency with a spate of negative news reports.

Senators Richard Burr and Mark Warner, the top Republican and Democrat on the intelligence panel, said in a statement they were disappointed by Flynn’s decision, but would “vigorously pursue” his testimony and documents related to the investigation.

The committee is conducting one of the main congressional probes into U.S. intelligence agency reports of Russian meddling in the election and whether there was collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and Trump denies any collusion.

Separately on Monday, the Washington Post reported that Trump asked two of the country’s top intelligence officials, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Admiral Michael Rogers, to help him deny any collusion between his team and Russia during his presidential campaign.

Coats and Rogers declined the request, the Post reported.

PENTAGON MISLED?

Flynn apparently misled Pentagon investigators about his foreign connections when he sought to renew his security clearance in early 2016, according to a document obtained by congressional Democrats and released in part on Monday.

Interviewed as part of the clearance renewal process, Flynn said all of his foreign trips as a private citizen “were funded by U.S. companies,” according to excerpts of a March 14, 2016, report compiled by security clearance investigators.

In fact, a trip Flynn made to Moscow in December 2015, where he attended a gala dinner and sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was paid for by Russia Today, which U.S. officials consider a state-run propaganda arm, according to documents previously released by the House Oversight Committee.

The document is the latest to shed light on how Flynn received a clearance and was hired as Trump’s national security advisor. He was forced to resign in February after less than a month for failing to disclose the content of his talks with Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, and misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

Excerpts were released by Representative Elijah Cummings, ranking Democrat on the House committee.

Flynn’s decision to decline to comply with the Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena was first reported by the Associated Press.

His attorney wrote to the committee that “the context in which the Committee has called for General Flynn’s testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him.”

Flynn’s legal team said he was rejecting the subpoena because the committee spurned his offer, made by the retired Army general in a May 8 letter, “to give a full account of the facts and to answer the committee’s questions, should the circumstances permit, including assurances against unfair prosecution. We stated that, absent such assurances, General Flynn would respectfully decline your request for an interview and for production of documents.”

NEXT STEPS UNCLEAR

It was not clear what the committee would do if Flynn decided not to comply.

Burr and Warren did not elaborate. Several panel members said they were waiting to learn more before coming to any conclusion about what might come next.

“We’ll see what the future brings,” Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein told reporters, adding: “ This may portend that (Flynn) faces something serious.”

Senator James Lankford, a Republican panel member, said Flynn was within his rights to invoke the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“We will get to the truth one way or another,” Lankford said on Twitter. “We need facts, not speculation & anonymous sources.”

A Congressional Research Service report outlined three main options if Congress decides to enforce the subpoena: seeking criminal prosecution through the executive branch, asking the courts for a civil judgment and using a dormant power of “inherent contempt” to detain and imprison an individual.

The latter option has not been used in 75 years. Congress has more often relied on the criminal contempt statute recently.

FILE PHOTO - National security adviser General Michael Flynn arrives to deliver a statement during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington U.S., February 1, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

Reuters reported on Thursday that Flynn and other advisers to Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the U.S. presidential race.

Two other former Trump associates - one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Republican operative Roger Stone - have turned over documents the Senate panel had requested, while a third - campaign adviser Carter Page - had not yet complied, NBC News reported, citing a congressional source.

Flynn has acknowledged being a paid consultant to the Turkish government during the campaign.</s>WASHINGTON — Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, misled Pentagon investigators about his income from companies in Russia and contacts with officials there when he applied for a renewal of his top-secret security clearance last year, according to a letter released Monday by the top Democrat on the House oversight committee.

Mr. Flynn, who resigned 24 days into the Trump administration, told investigators in February 2016 that he had received no income from foreign companies and had only “insubstantial contact” with foreign nationals, according to the letter. In fact, Mr. Flynn had sat two months earlier beside President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at a Moscow gala for RT, the Kremlin-financed television network, which paid him more than $45,000 to attend the event and give a separate speech.

His failure to make those disclosures and his apparent attempt to mislead the Pentagon could put Mr. Flynn in further legal jeopardy. Intentionally lying to federal investigators is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Separately, he also faces legal questions over failing to properly register as a foreign agent for lobbying he did last year on behalf of Turkey while advising the Trump campaign, which is also a felony.

The House letter, written by Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, was made public hours after Mr. Flynn formally rejected a subpoena from senators investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and chose to instead invoke his right against self-incrimination, a person familiar with his decision said.</s>Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn will decline to comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, according to media reports on Monday.

Flynn will invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal and Fox News reported, citing sources close to Flynn. The committee had first requested documents from Flynn in an April 28 letter, but the retired lieutenant general had declined to cooperate with the committee’s request.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) - Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination on Monday as he notifies the Senate Intelligence committee that he will not comply with a subpoena seeking documents.

That's according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private interactions between Flynn and the committee.

Flynn's decision comes less than two weeks after the committee issued a subpoena for Flynn's documents as part of the panel's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

Legal experts have said Flynn was unlikely to turn over the personal documents without immunity because he would be waiving some of his constitutional protections by doing so. Flynn has previously sought immunity from "unfair prosecution" to cooperate with the committee.</s>(ABC News) — Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to honor a Senate committee’s subpoena request for documents relating to Russian interference in the election, a source close to Flynn confirms to ABC News.

The Fifth Amendment gives an individual the right to protect against self-incrimination.

“He will not be producing the documents they sought. He is entitled to decline pursuant to the Fifth Amendment,” a source close to Flynn tells ABC News.

To date, Flynn is the only Trump associate whom the Senate has subpoenaed.

Legal experts told ABC News that Fifth Amendment rights do not just apply to someone seated at a witness table. It also allows the individual to decline to produce documents that could potentially be incriminating.

The Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Flynn’s personal documents on May 10 after the former national security adviser declined to cooperate with their original April 28 request for them in relation to the panel’s investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and its possible ties to Trump associates.

Prior to the April request, Flynn said through a statement from his lawyer that he wouldn’t submit himself to questioning from the committee “without assurances against unfair prosecution.”

President Trump then weighed in on Twitter, saying that Flynn was right to ask for immunity “in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!”

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on March 31 that the president “believes that Mike Flynn should go testify.”

Spicer told reporters that Trump wants Flynn to “go testify, go get it out there, do what you have to do.”

Then on May 10, the committee sent a subpoena for the documents, noting that Flynn declined to cooperate with their original April 28 request.

Last week, committee chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, said that “Gen. Flynn’s lawyers said that he would not honor the subpoena and that’s not a surprise to the committee,” but his office later put out a statement saying that Flynn’s attorneys had not yet gotten back to them.</s>WASHINGTON, May 22 (Reuters) - Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn declined on Monday to comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigates possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Flynn invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, according to a letter to the Senate committee from his attorney, which was obtained by Reuters.

The retired lieutenant general is a key witness in the Russia probe.

Flynn's attorneys did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Senators Richard Burr and Mark Warner, the top Republican and Democrat on the panel, said in a statement they were disappointed by Flynn's decision, but would "vigorously pursue" his testimony.

The committee is conducting one of the main congressional probes into U.S. intelligence agency reports of Russian meddling in the election and whether there was any collusion between President Donald Trump´s campaign and Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Russian officials.

Flynn apparently misled Pentagon investigators about his foreign connections when he sought to renew his security clearance in early 2016, according to a document obtained by congressional Democrats and released in part on Monday.

Flynn, interviewed as part of the clearance renewal process, said that all of his foreign trips as a private citizen "were funded by U.S. companies," according to excerpts of a March 14, 2016 report compiled by security clearance investigators.

In fact, a trip Flynn made to Moscow in December 2015, where he attended a gala dinner and sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was paid for by Russia Today, which U.S. officials consider a state-run propaganda arm, according to documents previously released by the House Oversight Committee.

The document is the latest to shed light on how Flynn received a security clearance and was subsequently hired as Trump's national security advisor. He was forced to resign from the job in February after less than a month for failing to disclose the content of his talks with Sergei Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States, and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

Excerpts were released by Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking Democrat on the House committee.

Flynn's decision to decline to comply with the Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena was first reported by the Associated Press.

The Senate committee first requested documents from Flynn in an April 28 letter, but he declined to cooperate with the request. Then it issued a subpoena.

In response, his attorney wrote to the committee that "the context in which the Committee has called for General Flynn´s testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him."

Flynn´s legal team said that he was rejecting the subpoena because the committee spurned his offer, made by the retired Army general in a May 8 letter, "to give a full account of the facts and to answer the committee´s questions, should the circumstances permit, including assurances against unfair prosecution. We stated that, absent such assurances, General Flynn would respectfully decline your request for an interview and for production of documents."

It was not clear what the committee would do if Flynn decided not to comply.

On Monday, Senator James Lankford, a Republican member of the intelligence panel, said on Twitter that Flynn was within his rights to invoke the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

"We will get to the truth one way or another," Lankford said on Twitter. "We need facts, not speculation & anonymous sources."

Congress has the constitutional authority to enforce a subpoena.

A Congressional Research Service report outlined three main options: seeking criminal prosecution through the executive branch, asking the courts for a civil judgment and using a dormant power of "inherent contempt" to detain and imprison an individual.

The latter option has not been used in 75 years, the report said, with Congress more often relying on the criminal contempt statute recently.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Moscow tried to sway the November vote in Trump's favor. Russia has denied involvement, and Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Russia.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Flynn and other advisers to Trump´s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the U.S. presidential race. (nL2N1IK0B9)

Two other former Trump associates - one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Republican operative Roger Stone - have turned over documents the Senate panel had requested, while a third - campaign adviser Carter Page - had not yet complied, NBC News reported, citing a congressional source.

Flynn has acknowledged being a paid consultant to the Turkish government during the campaign. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerler and Warren Strobel; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay, Doina Chiacu and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)</s>The Senate intelligence committee says it will subpoena two of former national security adviser Michael Flynn's businesses.

The committee has already subpoenaed Flynn for documents regarding his contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign. Flynn has refused to hand over that information.

The committee also sent a letter to Flynn's attorney Tuesday questioning the legal basis of Flynn's decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment right over a request for documents rather than testimony.

Committee Chairman Richard Burr says senators will wait for Flynn's response to Tuesday's requests before they decide the next course of action, including the possibility of a contempt of Congress citation.

The committee is investigating Russia's campaign meddling and possible ties to President Donald Trump's associates.</s>U.S. media reports say former national security advisor Michael Flynn will invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and decline to cooperate with a Senate subpoena to hand over documents related to the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the U.S. election.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is seeking the documents as part of its investigation.

The Senate committee probe is one of several ongoing inquiries into possible collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign with Moscow interests to help him win the election.

Trump fired Flynn in February from his key White House posting after it emerged that he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to Washington in the weeks before Trump assumed power in late January.

The New York Times said in a report last week that the new Trump administration named Flynn as national security adviser even though Flynn told the president-elect's transition team weeks before the January 20 inauguration that he was under federal investigation for secretly working during the presidential campaign as a paid lobbyist for Turkish interests in the United States. Flynn was paid more than $500,000.</s>WASHINGTON Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn declined on Monday to comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigates possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.He invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, as first reported by the Associated Press, citing sources close to Flynn, and confirmed by Senate aides. The retired lieutenant general, a key witness in the Russia probe, sent a letter to the committee informing members of his decision.Flynn's lawyer did not return requests for comment.The Senate Intelligence Committee is conducting one of the main congressional probes into U.S. intelligence agency allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election and whether there was any collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia.The committee first requested documents from Flynn in an April 28 letter, but he declined to cooperate with the request. Then it issued a subpoena.

It was not clear what the committee would do if Flynn decided not to comply.Flynn was forced to resign as Trump's national security adviser in February, after less than a month on the job, for failing to disclose the content of his talks with Sergei Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States, and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.On Monday, Senator James Lankford, a Republican member of the intelligence panel, said on Twitter that Flynn was within his rights to invoke the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“We will get to the truth one way or another,” Lankford said on Twitter. “We need facts, not speculation & anonymous sources.”Congress has the constitutional authority to enforce a subpoena.A Congressional Research Service report outlined three main options: seeking criminal prosecution through the executive branch, asking the courts for a civil judgment and using a dormant power of "inherent contempt" to detain and imprison an individual.

The latter option has not been used in 75 years, the report said, with Congress more often relying on the criminal contempt statute recently.U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Moscow tried to sway the November vote in Trump's favour. Russia has denied involvement, and Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Russia.Reuters reported on Thursday that Flynn and other advisers to Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the U.S. presidential race. Two other former Trump associates - one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Republican operative Roger Stone - have turned over documents the Senate panel had requested, while a third - campaign adviser Carter Page - had not yet complied, NBC News reported, citing a congressional source.Flynn has acknowledged being a paid consultant to the Turkish government during the campaign. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Patricia Zengerle, Tim Ahmann; Editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.</s>Michael Flynn informed the Senate Intelligence Committee Monday that he will not comply with the committee’s subpoena for a list of his communications with Russian officials ahead of last year’s presidential election.

The Senate Intelligence panel is investigating Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, and other Trump campaign aides as part of its larger probe of Russia’s meddling in November’s election. Flynn had previously signaled he was not cooperating with the committee's May 10 request for documents.

Flynn’s lawyer, Robert Kelner, asserted in a letter Monday that his client has a Fifth Amendment right not to produce the documents, as doing so would amount to a "testimonial act."

The letter noted Flynn previously told the committee he would testify only if he got "assurances against unfair prosecution” and that his demand for immunity is unchanged.

"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him," Kelner wrote. "Multiple members of Congress have demanded that he be investigated and even prosecuted.”

It's unclear whether the Senate will vote to hold Flynn in contempt and refer his case to the Justice Department for criminal charges or to federal district court for civil enforcement. These routes are long and complicated, and there’s no guarantee they would succeed.
According to sources familiar with his decision, former U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn invokes his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and declines to comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.