Democrat Elijah Cummings: Flynn 'lied to investigators' about foreign income

In a letter released Monday, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) revealed ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn apparently lied to Pentagon investigators about his foreign income and contacts with Russian officials when he was re-applying for his top-secret security clearance last year.

Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said the committee had obtained documents that "appear to indicate" Flynn "lied to investigators" while applying to renew his clearance in February 2016. Flynn claimed income that came from Russian state news site RT in return for his attendance at a Moscow gala actually came from "U.S. companies," Cummings wrote; Flynn received more than $45,000 for attending the event, at which he was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Flynn also told investigators he had had "insubstantial contact" with foreign government representatives, Cummings wrote.

Cummings sent the letter to House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) after obtaining the Pentagon's own report on Flynn's clearance application, which was compiled in March 2016, and urged Chaffetz to subpoena Flynn. Earlier Monday, Flynn declined to cooperate with a Senate subpoena related to the upper chamber's Russia probe, invoking the Fifth Amendment.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Read Cummings' letter at The New York Times.