Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 19 May 2017

Senate chairman: Flynn has not responded to subpoena

and has pressured the U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The to extradite him. The U.S.
chairman of the Senate has rebuffed those calls.
intelligence committee Flynn Intel was paid only
said Thursday that ousted $530,000 for the work,
National Security Adviser which ended in Novem-
Michael Flynn hasn’t re- ber after Trump’s election
sponded to a subpoena victory. The day of the
from the panel in its probe election, Flynn published
of Russia’s meddling in the a pro-Turkish op-ed, which
2016 presidential election. railed against Gulen, in The
Republican Sen. Richard Hill newspaper. Flynn has
Burr of North Carolina had denied the op-ed was re-
to retract a statement lated to his Turkish work.
made hours earlier that The op-ed prompted scru-
Flynn’s lawyer had told the tiny by the Justice De-
committee he would not partment, and now a full-
comply with the subpoe- fledged federal investiga-
na. tion. According to a U.S.
Legal experts say it’s un- official, authorities in the
likely Flynn would agree to Eastern District of Virginia
turn over the personal doc- are examining Flynn’s paid
uments because he would foreign consulting work last
be waiving his constitu- year for the Turkish-owned
tional protection against company while he was ad-
self-incrimination by do- vising Trump’s presidential
ing so. Flynn, though his campaign. The official was
lawyer, had earlier asked not authorized to discuss
for immunity from “unfair the probe and requested
prosecution” in exchange anonymity.
for agreeing to cooperate In this Jan. 3, 2017, file photo, Michael Flynn, then - President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for The existence of the inves-
National Security Adviser arrives at Trump Tower in New York.
with the committee. Associated Press tigation was first confirmed
Flynn’s attorney Robert by CNN, which reported
Kelner did not respond operate with an April 28 re- about financial and real partment since at least that federal prosecutors
to phone messages and quest for documents. That estate holdings associated Nov. 30, when the depart- recently sent grand jury
emails seeking comment. request was similar to ones with Russia were among ment’s Foreign Agent Reg- subpoenas to Flynn as-
The Senate committee is received by other Trump the information requested istration Act unit sent him a sociates and contractors
one of several on Capitol associates, including for- by the committee. letter questioning whether who worked with his firm.
Hill investigating possible mer campaign chairman Nina Ginsberg, a veteran he needed to register as Alptekin told the AP in an
collusion between Rus- Paul Manafort, Trump as- Washington defense attor- a foreign agent for lobby- email that he is not a tar-
sia and President Donald sociate Roger Stone and ney with extensive experi- ing work he performed for get of the investigation
Trump’s 2016 campaign. former Trump foreign policy ence in national security a Turkish businessman. The and has not been contact-
Flynn is also the target of adviser Carter Page, a per- cases, said that without an letter and initial stories on ed by authorities.
other congressional in- son familiar with the Sen- ironclad immunity deal Flynn’s lobbying were first Amid Justice interest,
vestigations as well as an ate investigation said. That from the committee, Flynn reported by The Daily Call- Trump formally chose Flynn
ongoing FBI counterintel- person spoke on the condi- would be exposed to ques- er. as his national security ad-
ligence probe and a sepa- tion of anonymity to discuss tioning from investigators Flynn signed a $600,000 viser. As the AP reported in
rate federal investigation confidential details of the about any personal docu- contract last August with March , an attorney for Fly-
in Virginia. Flynn, a retired committee’s investigation. ments he gave up. a Turkish businessman, nn told Trump’s presidential
Army lieutenant general, Page and Stone shared Providing those records to Ekim Alptekin. The contract transition team— including
was fired from his position copies of their request let- the committee would pro- called for Flynn’s com- now-White House counsel
as Trump’s national secu- ters with The Associated vide authorities with “a lot pany, Flynn Intel Group, Don McGahn — that Flynn
rity adviser in February. At Press. Those letters sought more information and the to gather information on might have to register as a
the time, Trump said he a wide array of electronic legal basis for questioning a Turkish cleric living in the foreign agent.
fired Flynn because he mis- and paper records related him about them,” she said. United States with the aim After Trump’s inauguration,
led senior administration to any contacts made be- Opening himself up to of getting a criminal refer- Flynn’s representatives told
officials, including the vice tween people affiliated questioning from Senate in- ral against him. Turkish pres- the White House counsel
president, about his con- with the Trump campaign vestigations would be risky ident Recep Tayyip Erdo- that Flynn, who was al-
tacts with Russian officials. and Russian officials and for Flynn given his current gan has blamed the cleric, ready serving as national
The Senate committee is- businesses. Emails, text legal troubles. Fethullah Gulen, who lives security adviser, would be
sued the subpoena for messages, letters, phone Flynn has been under scru- in Pennsylvania, for a failed registering with the Justice
Flynn’s records on May 10 records and information tiny from the Justice De- coup attempt last summer
after he declined to co- Department.q