Press Releases

Washington, DC – As part of its investigation efforts by Russia and other foreign entities to influence the U.S. political process during and since the 2016 U.S. election, including any counterintelligence threats arising from links between U.S. persons and the Russian government and/or other foreign entities, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has issued two subpoenas to individuals who were central to the Mueller Report. 

The Committee subpoenaed Trump Campaign Deputy Campaign Manager Rick Gates and former White House National Security Advisor Michael Flynn for documents and testimony. Both witnesses cooperated with the Special Counsel and provided substantial information about matters central to the Committee’s investigation. 

Chairman Adam Schiff stated:

“As part of our oversight work, the House Intelligence Committee is continuing to examine the deep counterintelligence concerns raised in Special Counsel Mueller’s report, and that requires speaking directly with the fact witnesses. Both Michael Flynn and Rick Gates were critical witnesses for Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, but so far have refused to cooperate fully with Congress.

“That’s simply unacceptable. The American people, and the Congress, deserve to hear directly from these two critical witnesses. We hope these witnesses come to recognize their cooperation as being with the United States, not merely the Department of Justice.”

In a letter accompanying the subpoena to Gates, Schiff wrote:

“Because you have declined to comply voluntarily with the Committee’s requests for documents and testimony, the Committee has no choice but to compel the production of the specified documents and your testimony through the attached subpoena. In light of your ongoing cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice and the fact that you have already testified publicly under oath concerning your own criminal conduct, it is unfortunate that you are unwilling to cooperate with the Committee.  While the Committee understands that your cooperation agreement with the Department of Justice only requires you to testify for the Department, the Committee is disappointed that you do not view your cooperation more broadly as an obligation to assist the United States of America, and not merely the Department of Justice.”

In a letter accompanying the subpoena to Flynn, Schiff wrote:

“The Committee notes that on December 18, 2018, the United States District Judge overseeing your pending criminal prosecution in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia offered you the opportunity to adjourn sentencing until ‘it’s clear that you’ve done everything you possibly can for the United States of America.’ In accepting the Court’s offer, your counsel represented to the Court that you wished to ‘eke out the last modicum of cooperation’ and thereby place yourself in ‘the best position to argue to the Court the great value of [your] cooperation.’  While the Committee recognizes that your cooperation agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice only requires you to testify for the Department, your cooperation with the Committee’s investigation nonetheless provides an opportunity to demonstrate to the Court that you have met the ‘high standard’ of cooperation that you represented to the Court that you set for yourself.  It would further underscore to your sentencing judge that ‘you’ve done everything you possibly can for the United States of America,’ not just the Department of Justice.”

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