Trump aide immunity ‘premature’
A ROW is developing over whether General Michael Flynn, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, should be given immunity in exchange for testifying at a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the US presidential election.
The development comes as Flynn, who is being investigated for his connections to Moscow, faced questions over why he failed to disclose meetings with a Russian and British woman reported to have trusted contacts in Moscow spy agencies.
Flynn has asked for protection from what his lawyers have called “unfair prosecution” if he testifies before the intelligence committees of the US Senate and the House of Representatives.
Robert Kellner, his lawyer, has said Flynn “has a story to tell”.
This might have seemed an ominous development for the White House. But President Donald Trump actively encouraged the move, and called the investigations into Flynn and his presidential campaign a “witch-hunt”.
He tweeted: “Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!”
Flynn had to resign from his post after only 24 days, when it emerged he had lied to VicePresident Mike Pence about conversations he held with Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the US. Flynn’s testimony could reveal more about the nature of his conversations with Kislyak, and give potentially valuable insights into activities by other members of Trump’s campaign staff, who are also under investigation.
But Adam Schiff, a ranking Democrat congressman on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said it was too soon to consider immunity requests.
“There is still much work and many more witnesses and documents to obtain before any immunity request from any witness can be considered,” he said in a statement. —©