Senate intel chair backtracks on claim Flynn won't honor subpoena

Burr initially said Flynn's legal team would not honor subpoena.

ByABC News
May 18, 2017, 1:46 PM

— -- The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, R-N.C., said today that former national security adviser Mike Flynn's lawyers would not be honoring the committee's subpoena for documents related to Flynn's communications with Russian officials.

But Burr's team later backtracked on the claim.

"Gen. Flynn's attorneys have not yet indicated their intentions regarding the Senate Intelligence Committee's subpoena," Burr's spokesperson said. "Consistent with the committee's position since the beginning of or investigation, I welcome their willingness to cooperate."

Earlier today, Burr told reporters on Capitol Hill, "Gen. Flynn's lawyers said that he would not honor the subpoena, and that's not a surprise to the committee." Burr added that the committee, which is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, would be evaluating its next steps.

ABC News reached out to Flynn's legal team for comment.

Burr and the committee's Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., announced in a statement last week that the committee subpoenaed Flynn for documents and noted that it made an initial request for the documents in late April. Flynn declined to cooperate with that request.

Though Flynn, a retired lieutenant general, has left the Trump administration, the controversy surrounding him has not subsided, as newly announced special counsel Robert Mueller, Congress and the FBI investigate possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and the Russian government.

As national security adviser, Flynn had several phone calls with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak before and immediately after Trump's inauguration.

Flynn resigned on Feb. 13 at Trump's request after it was revealed that Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak and misled Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about the nature of those conversations with the ambassador.

After Flynn's departure, his lawyer Robert Kelner said that Flynn would testify in front of the Senate committee in exchange for "assurances against unfair prosecution."

"Gen. Flynn has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit," Kelner said.

Note: This story has been updated to reflect clarifying comments from Burr's team.

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