Michael Flynn has "a story to tell," his lawyer said Thursday, amid reports that the ousted US national security advisor has offered to testify in exchange for immunity about potential ties between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. Flynn proposed his deal to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the House and Senate intelligence committees, The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday.
A close advisor of Trump's 2016 campaign, Flynn was forced to step down just weeks into the security job last month. His resignation came after it emerged that he made misleading statements about talks he held with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition concerning Washington's sanctions on Moscow.
Trump himself appeared to offer legal advice on the issue, tweeting: "Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!" The Journal said it wasn't clear what exactly Flynn had offered to discuss. But it quoted one unnamed official as saying the retired army general's bid for immunity suggested potential "legal jeopardy" for him.
Robert Kelner, a lawyer for Flynn, said in a statement tweeted late Thursday that "General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit. "Out of respect for the committees, we will not comment right now on the details of discussions between counsel for General Flynn and the House and Senate intelligence committees, other than to confirm that those discussions have taken place," the lawyer added.
The New York Times quoted a congressional official as saying investigators are wary of cutting a deal with Flynn until they are further along in their probe and have a better idea of what information Flynn might offer. The Times also quoted an expert as urging caution over Flynn's offer of testimony. "At this early stage, I wouldn't read anything into this request beyond smart lawyering," Mark Zaid, a Washington lawyer specialising in national security cases, was quoting as saying by the Times.
"In such a politically charged, high-profile national security case, I couldn't imagine not first asking for immunity," he added. "I would suspect both Congress and the FBI will first generate additional evidence from smaller players before deciding to immunise General Flynn," Zaid said, according to the Times.