House Intelligence Committee issues 7 subpoenas in Russia probe

WASHINGTON- The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has issued seven subpoenas whose recipients include former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and President Donald Trump’s personal business attorney Michael Cohen and Obama administration officials.

“As part of our ongoing investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 campaign, today we approved subpoenas for several individuals for testimony, personal documents and business records,” Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement Wednesday.

“We hope and expect that anyone called to testify or provide documents will comply with that request, so that we may gain all the information within the scope of our investigation. We will continue to pursue this investigation wherever the facts may lead,” the Congressmen explained.

Subpoenas also were issued to former Obama Administration national security officials Susan Rice, Samantha Power and John Brennan. The three are believed to have knowledge of recent intelligence leaks to media outlets as well as unmasking American citizens. President Trump has argued that the leaks should be the focus of the investigation.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the seven subpoena issuances.

Flynn on Tuesday reportedly agreed to provide the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence with some of the records requested in a subpoena last month.  Flynn’s reported acquiescence comes less than a week after his attorneys said their client would not cooperate with the committee.

Flynn resigned in February following reports that he had diplomatically engaged Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak prior to President 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 from neighboring Ukraine.

Cohen had vowed non-compliance prior to being subpoenaed but is now believed to be cooperating with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Cohen is regarded as a person of interest in the investigation due to reports suggesting that in a private January meeting he had attempted to broker an unspecified peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine over the status of Crimea.

Trump has retained Marc Kasowitz as counsel in the Russia probe. Kasowitz’s law firm employs former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman. Lieberman last week withdrew his name from consideration as FBI director due to the perception of a conflict of interest.

The Russia investigation outside Congress is no less intricate.

Two weeks ago Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Muller as independent counsel in the Trump-Russia probe following two days of intense bipartisan criticism stemming from The New York Times reporting that recently fired FBI Director James Comey wrote a memo about a February meeting with President Donald Trump.

During the meeting the president reportedly told Comey that he hoped the Bureau would not pursue the investigation into Michael Flynn’s correspondence with Ambassador Kislyak and the retired lieutenant general’s reported business dealings with Russia media outlets.

Comey has agreed to openly testify before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence at an unspecified date following Congress’ one-week Memorial Day recess.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions in early March recused himself from the Justice Department’s Trump-Russia probe following The Washington Post reporting that he had twice met with Kislyak while a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News