Chairman: House intel panel won’t investigate Flynn, will probe leaks
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) says he won’t open an investigation into President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, citing executive privilege.
But the committee will investigate who leaked the story that led to Flynn’s resignation and why Trump’s national security adviser was being recorded, CNN reported Tuesday.
Rep. Devin Nunes says the Intelligence Committee won't look into discussions between Trump and Flynn, citing executive privilege
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 14, 2017
House Intel Chair @DevinNunes says Cmte will look into IC leaks of Flynn/Russia call.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 14, 2017
Flynn resigned late Monday night amid cascading controversy over a discussion he had before Trump took office with a Russian diplomat about President Obama’s sanctions on the country.
The Washington Post first reported details of the conversation, which the New York Times said stemmed from a wire tap of the Russian diplomat.
{mosads}Flynn initially denied the conversation took place, and Vice President Mike Pence vouched for him in a nationally televised interview.
But Flynn later said he could not recall whether he’d discussed the sanctions before Trump took office.
Flynn’s conflicting story and Democratic uproar over his remarks to a foreign diplomat, which were not made in any official capacity, ultimately led to his resignation.
Democrats are demanding an investigation into the matter, which ties into their suspicions about the Trump administration’s alleged close ties to Moscow.
But House Oversight chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said his committee will not investigate Flynn, and Nunes, the Intelligence chairman, followed suit.
Nunes told the Washington Post he is more concerned “that you have an American citizen who had his phone calls recorded.” Nunes will investigate how the story was exposed, he told CNN on Tuesday.
Trump tweeted Tuesday that the real scandal is the “illegal leaks.”
The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2017
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