Ex-Trump adviser Flynn offers testimony for immunity: report

Mike Flynn. (AFP)

WASHINGTON: Michael Flynn has “a story to tell,” his lawyer said Thursday, amid reports that the ousted US national security adviser has offered to testify in exchange for immunity about potential ties between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia.
Flynn proposed his deal to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the House and Senate intelligence committees, The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday.
A close adviser of Trump’s 2016 campaign, Flynn was forced to step down just weeks into the security job last month.
His resignation came after it emerged that he made misleading statements about talks he held with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition concerning Washington’s sanctions on Moscow.
Trump himself appeared to offer legal advice on the issue, tweeting: “Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!“
The Journal said it wasn’t clear what exactly Flynn had offered to discuss.
But it quoted one unnamed official as saying the retired army general’s bid for immunity suggested potential “legal jeopardy” for him.
Robert Kelner, a lawyer for Flynn, said in a statement tweeted late Thursday that “General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit.
“Out of respect for the committees, we will not comment right now on the details of discussions between counsel for General Flynn and the House and Senate intelligence committees, other than to confirm that those discussions have taken place,” the lawyer added.
The New York Times quoted a congressional official as saying investigators are wary of cutting a deal with Flynn until they are further along in their probe and have a better idea of what information Flynn might offer.
The Times also quoted an expert as urging caution over Flynn’s offer of testimony.
“At this early stage, I wouldn’t read anything into this request beyond smart lawyering,” Mark Zaid, a Washington lawyer specializing in national security cases, was quoting as saying by the Times.
“In such a politically charged, high-profile national security case, I couldn’t imagine not first asking for immunity,” he added.
“I would suspect both Congress and the FBI will first generate additional evidence from smaller players before deciding to immunize General Flynn,” Zaid said, according to the Times.
At least four investigations are under way into allegations that Moscow tried to swing November’s presidential election in Trump’s favor, as questions swirl about whether some in the Republican’s inner circle colluded with Russia.
The FBI, in an extraordinary admission, confirmed publicly this month that it was probing the possibility of such collusion.
A former US military intelligence chief, Flynn was generously paid to attend a gala of Russia’s RT television in late 2015, where he sat with President Vladimir Putin, raising suspicions about his ties with Moscow.
His ouster came amid controversy over his discussions with Kislyak in late December, when the Obama administration was hitting Russia with retaliatory sanctions and expulsions for its election interference.
Trump has said he did not instruct Flynn to speak with the Russian ambassador. However, Trump defended the move, saying it was the kind of thing a national security adviser would do as part of his job.
Flynn’s actions came before Trump’s inauguration, when Barack Obama was still president. And a rarely-invoked US law bars private citizens from engaging in foreign policy on behalf of the government.
Soon after Flynn resigned, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from any Russia-related inquiries, following the revelation that he, too, also met with Kislyak before Trump took office — contrary to his testimony during his confirmation hearing before the Senate.