Lawyers for Michael Flynn said the ex-national security advisor would not honor a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee that seeks documents related to their investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, the Washington Post Reported.
Senators slapped Flynn with a subpoena last week in their investigation into ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign associates and Russian interference.
The Trump administration has repeatedly denied collusion with Russia.
Flynn was fired from his top post in the Trump Administration after just 25 days when it was revealed he had lied about his communications with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak and then misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.
The subpoena was widely seen as intensifyying the Senate’s months-long investigation into alleged Russian meddling and was the first subpoena issued by the committee relating to the Russia investigation.
The Senate committee reportedly is after documents in the retired lieutenant general’s possession relating to Russia.
Flynn, through counsel, denied an initial request by the Senate to review any such documents in an April 28 letter, Reuters reported.
It could prove difficult for the Senate to get its hands on the evidence it seeks. Congressional subpoenas don’t often succeed when the subject is “obstinate,” according to a recent Politico report. At best, the case will end up in court where it will likely be stalled for years.
For example, Republicans never heard testimony from Hillary Clinton’s former technology aide about her private email server despite a subpoena and committee vote to hold him in contempt.
The Justice Department also has a history of failing to prosecute subjects found in contempt.
In 2015 former IRS official Lois Lerner was never prosecuted despite refusing to testify before a House panel after she was accused of targeting conservative groups and either delaying or outright denying them tax-exempt status.
The Justice Department declined to prosecute former Attorney General Eric Holder in 2012 when he skirted a congressional subpoena over a case where the ATF purposely allowed licensed firearms dealers to sell guns to illegal buyers hoping to track the weapons to Mexican drug cartels.
