Chaffetz demands copy of Comey memo on Flynn investigation
WASHINGTON – House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on Tuesday evening asked the FBI to provide the committee with a memorandum related to the Bureau’s investigation of former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Letter to FBI requesting the Comey documents @GOPoversight https://t.co/P4P3bfVBi3
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) May 17, 2017
Chaffetz Wednesday afternoon Tweeted his intention to invite the recently fired FBI director to testify next week before the House Oversight Committee.
Officially noticed a hearing for next Wed at 9:30am ET with former FBI Dir Comey. But I still need to speak with him…evidently has a new #
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) May 17, 2017
The New York Times Tuesday evening reported that Comey documented in a memorandum the contents of a February meeting with President Donald Trump in which the president told Comey that he hoped the Bureau would not pursue the Flynn investigation.
According to the Times’ report, Comey’s memo states Trump did not specifically ask the director to end the investigation but instead said: “I hope you can let this go.” Trump also reportedly described Flynn as a “good guy.”
Comey in the memo reportedly agreed that Flynn is a “good guy” but the Director did not address whether or not the investigation would continue.
Flynn resigned in February following reports that he had diplomatically engaged Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak prior to Trump taking office and that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about that conversation.
Those reports suggested that Flynn may have given Kislyak the impression that the incoming administration might be willing to consider lifting sanctions that were imposed on Moscow following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, a Ukrainian territory.
Shortly before leaving office, former President Barack Obama imposed additional sanctions on Russia after receiving information from the intelligence community suggesting the country tried to sabotage Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Flynn has more recently come under scrutiny for failing to disclose on his security clearance application payments he received from Russian media outlets.
Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates last week told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that she warned the Trump administration 18 days before Flynn’s termination that the retired lieutenant general may have been vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
Both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are investigating Russian attempts to manipulate the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election as well as allegations of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and high-ranking Russian officials.
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News
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