President Trump took to Twitter to defend former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. In an early Friday morning tweet, Trump blamed the media and Democrats for the “witch hunt” that has resulted in Flynn offering to talk in exchange for immunity.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/847766558520856578
On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Flynn is willing to be interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Congress regarding any possible ties between Trump and Russia in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
“General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit,” Flynn’s lawyer Robert Kelner said in a statement.
Flynn stepped down from his cabinet position on February 13, after reports emerged that he had misled White House staff — including Vice President Mike Pence — about the nature of a series of phone calls with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. His 24-day tenure in the role was the shortest in the history of the National Security Adviser position.
Citing officials with knowledge of the situation, the Journal reported that Flynn had offered his testimony to the FBI and the House and Senate intelligence committees, but that none have taken him up on it. Flynn’s request for immunity could imply that he fears legal consequences from his time working in the Trump administration.
The FBI is currently examining possible interference by Russia in last year’s presidential election, which Trump and Russia have denied.
Flynn also received thousands of dollars from three Russian companies, including state-sponsored TV station RT, for speeches he made before he had a formal role with the Trump campaign. His son, Michael Flynn Jr., was fired from the Trump transition team in December after promoting the “Pizzagate” hoax -which linked Hillary Clinton and her campaign chairman, John Podesta, with a nonexistent child sex ring purportedly run from a Washington, D.C. pizzeria.