GOP Senate Intelligence Committee chairman says Flynn could be held in contempt
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Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Monday that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn could be held in contempt after his lawyers said he will plead the Fifth and refuse to comply with the committee's subpoena, Politico reports. "It does us no good to have people insist on pleading the Fifth if you're out trying to get information. The only thing I can tell you is immunity is off the table," Burr said, adding that "all I've asked him for is documents. I don't know how you can plead the Fifth on a document request."
Other Republicans are hesitant to fall in line behind Burr, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) saying "you can't criticize anybody for invoking a constitutional right."
"The subpoena needs to be enforced, and hopefully it will be," a noncommittal Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) added.
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Flynn's lawyers have cited "escalating public frenzy against him" as his reason for refusing to honor the subpoena. Flynn is at the heart of the ongoing investigation into ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.
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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.
