Senate Intel chairman walks back claim Flynn will ignore subpoena

Michael Flynn.
(Image credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

Update 1:21 p.m. ET: Sen. Burr clarified his initial statement later Thursday, saying, "General Flynn's attorneys have not yet indicated their intentions regarding the Senate Intelligence Committee's subpoena." Our original story appears below.

A lawyer for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Flynn will not honor his subpoena, The Associated Press reports. The committee issued the subpoena last week to Flynn for private documents pertaining to his interactions with Russian officials.

Ignoring a subpoena can theoretically lead to contempt of court charges. North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr (R), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told AP that "we'll figure out on Gen. Flynn what the next step, if any, is."

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Flynn is at the heart of an ongoing investigation into ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. It was revealed earlier this week that Trump pressured his former FBI director, James Comey, about dropping the investigation into Flynn and that Trump was aware Flynn was under federal investigation for foreign lobbying work when he originally appointed him to the national security adviser role. Trump has reportedly encouraged Flynn to "stay strong" since his ousting.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.