Warner: Door open to holding Flynn in contempt after invoking Fifth Amendment – My Champlain Valley FOX44 & ABC22
Related Content
(CNN) - The top two leaders of the Senate intelligence committee are leaving the door open to holding Michael Flynn in contempt of Congress after President Trump's former national security adviser said he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights rather than comply with a subpoena.
Sen. Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said the panel was reviewing a range of options to compel Flynn to disclose records about his meetings with Russian officials, including holding Flynn in contempt. And he said the panel "could" call for Flynn to assert his right against self-incrimination in a public session.
"It does us no good in having people pleading the Fifth if we are trying to get information," Burr said. He added: "The only thing I can tell you is immunity is off the table."
Unlike Flynn, two other former Trump campaign officials have turned over documents to the committee related to its investigation of Russian meddling in the US election.
"The subpoena seeks to compel (Flynn) to offer testimony through the act of producing documents that may or may not exist. In these circumstances, (Flynn) is entitled to, and does, invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against production of documents," Flynn's lawyer wrote in a letter to the committee, verified by CNN.
When asked by CNN whether his panel would hold Flynn in contempt, Ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner, said, "We have to find out whether we have the ability to either hold Gen. Flynn in contempt or whether it's just Fifth Amendment. I've got to get the legal answer to that first."
Warner said he was "disappointed" Flynn didn't produce the documents that were requested, and the committee was still determining if it had other options to get a hold of them.
Flynn's refusal to cooperate comes as he faces scrutiny in several inquiries, including by Capitol Hill and a federal grand jury that has issued subpoenas to associates of the ex-national security adviser.
His refusal will also intensify scrutiny over Trump's decision to hire him initially for the job and his decision to keep him on staff for 18 days after the President was warned by former acting Attorney General Sally Yates that Flynn may have been compromised by the Russians. And the White House is also bound to face new pressure from Trump's apparent disclosure of classified information in a private meeting with Russian officials at the White House earlier this month.
Warner, in an interview with CNN on Monday, said the White House must turn over records related to that meeting -- and did not rule out issuing a subpoena for the records.
"We have made the request," Warner said. "Transcripts or tapes. My hope is the White House will comply. They say there is no there there. They ought to work with the committee."
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has turned over documents to the committee, a source familiar with the filing told CNN on Monday. Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone has also complied with the committee's requests and answered its questions, according to Stone's attorney, Robert Buschel.
The Senate committee had asked Flynn earlier this month to produce all records over his communications with Russian officials by this Wednesday. But Flynn is expected to send a letter later Monday invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.
The source close to Flynn said it would be "highly imprudent for him not to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights" given that several members of Congress have called for his prosecution.
Flynn's decision to decline the subpoena does not come as a surprise to Senate intelligence leaders, as Flynn's lawyer also told the panel last month he would not provide documents in response to an April request.
Interactive: The many paths from Trump to Russia Flynn was back in the news last week following the revelation that former FBI Director James Comey wrote in a memo that Trump had asked Comey in a meeting to end his investigation into the former national security adviser.
Comey has agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence panel after Memorial Day. Warner said he and Burr hoped to meet with Robert Mueller, the Justice Department's special counsel in the Russia investigation, to talk about what Comey can and cannot say in his testimony.
"Our hope is that the chairman and I will be able to sit down and again just kind of get the rules of the road for us going forward with Director Mueller," Warner said.
Flynn resigned from the Trump White House in February after it was revealed he'd misled White House officials over his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, which included communication about sanctions.
In what could be a signal of additional problems for Flynn, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a new letter on Monday calling for Chaffetz to issue subpoenas for White House documents.
The letter from Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings cites a Report of Investigation from the Pentagon, which was conducted by investigators undertaking a review for Flynn's security clearance application.
According to that March 14, 2016 report, Flynn made false statements to investigators about who funded his foreign trips, including a 2015 trip to Russia where Flynn was paid roughly $45,000 for a speaking engagement. He claimed they were funded by "US companies," even though he was paid by Russia Today, according to the letter released Monday by House Democrats on the Oversight Committee.
The report stated that Flynn said he "had not received any benefit from a foreign country."
Flynn also claimed to investigators he had no substantial contacts with foreign government officials, saying he only had "insubstantial contact," but photos from the event showed Flynn sitting near Putin at that 2015 RT dinner.
The committee Democrats say Chaffetz must subpoena documents from the White House to determine what the White House was told about these foreign contacts and trips.
In the letter, Cummings demanded that Chaffetz either "issue a subpoena to the White House for the documents it is withholding or schedule a business meeting during which committee members can vote to issue the subpoena ourselves."
Flynn previously sought immunity from the Senate committee in exchange for his testimony. Leaders of both the Senate and House panels, which are conducting separate investigations into Russia's election-year meddling, rejected that request.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump blasted aides to Hillary Clinton for taking the Fifth Amendment in relation to the investigation of her use of a private email server while secretary of state. He said at a September Iowa rally: "So there are five people taking the Fifth Amendment, like you see on the mob, right? You see the mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?"
Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican on the intelligence panel, said Flynn's decision would not stop the committee's investigation, tweeting: "It is Mike Flynn's right to plead the 5th. We will get to the truth one way or another. We need facts, not speculation & anonymous sources."
Flynn is one of several former Trump aides to whom Senate investigators have sent requests for information to as part of the panel's investigation into connections between Trump associates and Russian officials.
The panel has also sought documents from former campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page.
The House intelligence panel, meanwhile, is requesting documents from former Trump campaign communications adviser Michael Caputo.
See the article here:
Warner: Door open to holding Flynn in contempt after invoking Fifth Amendment - My Champlain Valley FOX44 & ABC22
- Fauci refuses Senate appearance after invoking Fifth Amendment more than 100 times in COVID probe - Fox News - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Trump sued on First and Fifth Amendment grounds over paid Truth Social access - Scripps News - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment over 100 times at Senate hearing - newuniversity.org - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- Fauci walks away when pressed on Fifth Amendment, pandemic regrets - New York Post - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Pat McAfee pokes fun at Anthony Fauci pleading the Fifth Amendment live on ESPN - Fox News - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Here's how many times Trump invoked Fifth Amendment in civil fraud trial, according to a judge - Snopes - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment at Senate hearing on COVID-19 pandemic origins - Scripps News - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- What It Means to Plead the Fifth Amendment - Time Magazine - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Aaron Rodgers calls Fauci coward, criminal for invoking the Fifth Amendment - WJTV - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment More Than 100 Times in Bitter Senate Hearing - The New York Times - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- In the News: Mark Osler on Anthony Faucis Fifth Amendment Claim - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Dr. Fauci invokes his Fifth Amendment right not to testify at Senate hearing - NBC News - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment and declines to testify in Republican-led COVID-19 Senate hearing - Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - Live 5 News - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- CBS News | Legal Analysis on Whether Dr. Anthony Fauci Can Be Punished for Invoking Fifth Amendment - Loyola Marymount University - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- The scope of Faucis Fifth Amendment invocation may have to be settled in court - MS NOW - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Hawley trolls Fauci's blanket Fifth Amendment claims exposing 'contempt for this body' - Fox News - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WDAM-TV - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes fifth amendment and declines to testify in Senate Covid hearing - The Guardian - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WTVM.com - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Dr. Anthony Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in heated COVID-19 hearing - WTAE - August 4th, 2026 [August 4th, 2026]
- Faucis legal protection from pardon, Fifth Amendment is an open question - The Hill - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Anthony Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment in Rand Paul Senate Hearing NPR - Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WBKO - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Washington Post. . Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a Senate hearing Wednesday where Republicans pressed the retired... - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Dr. Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment at Senate hearing on COVID pandemic - CBS News - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - fox8live.com - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WCTV - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - KEYC News Now - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WEEK | 25 News Now - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci Threatened With Contempt Of Congress After Invoking Fifth Amendment - Forbes - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - Cleveland 19 News - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - ABC7 WWSB - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WSAW - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WCAX - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WSFA - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Anthony Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment at fiery Senate hearing on Covid-19 - Financial Times - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WTHI-TV - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - KOLN | Nebraska Local News, Weather, Sports | Lincoln, NE - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment over 100 times - CNN - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WPTA | 21Alive | Fort Wayne, IN - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - WVLT - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - wflx.com - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing about COVID-19 pandemic - KOLD - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Opinion | Why I will use my Fifth Amendment rights before Congress today - The Washington Post - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- ActBlue C.E.O. Invokes Fifth Amendment Repeatedly in Testimony to Congress - The New York Times - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- ActBlue CEO invokes Fifth Amendment repeatedly in testimony to Congress - The Seattle Times - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- ActBlue CEO Will Invoke Fifth Amendment At Congressional Hearing - Campaigns & Elections - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- ActBlue CEO invokes Fifth Amendment in House hearing over illegal foreign donations - Fox Business - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- 'Okay, wow, didn't expect that one': Rep. Loudermilk stunned by ActBlue CEO's Fifth Amendment answer - The Economic Times - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Urban Outfitters Inc Enters Into Fifth Amendment To Credit Agreement On May 19, 2026 - TradingView - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Principals who invoked their Fifth Amendment rights during CRCT investigation identified - Albany Herald - May 22nd, 2026 [May 22nd, 2026]
- User Clip: Clip: Use of the Fifth Amendment - C-SPAN - May 22nd, 2026 [May 22nd, 2026]
- Is the Twenty-fifth Amendment Really an Option? - The New Yorker - May 7th, 2026 [May 7th, 2026]
- Does the Fifth Amendment Protect You From Turning Over Documents (with Tiffany H. Eggers) - Dykema - May 1st, 2026 [May 1st, 2026]
- We have the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. Now is the time to use it. - lawdork.com - April 12th, 2026 [April 12th, 2026]
- Herald Tribune Events - The Fifth Amendment - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- A full and perfect equivalent : Just Compensation and the Fifth Amendment - Pacific Legal Foundation - February 22nd, 2026 [February 22nd, 2026]
- Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, pleaded the Fifth Amendment during the House Oversight Committee's deposition. - Facebook - February 14th, 2026 [February 14th, 2026]
- Elie Honig Explains How Maxwell May Have Inadvertently Waived Her Fifth Amendment Protection - AOL.com - February 14th, 2026 [February 14th, 2026]
- Epstein invoked the Fifth Amendment for nearly every question during his depositions. If he had nothing to hide, why stay silent? He used the same... - February 11th, 2026 [February 11th, 2026]
- Jeffrey Epstein Associate: Why is Ghislaine Maxwell Invoking the Fifth Amendment in a Congressional Probe? - The Sunday Guardian - February 11th, 2026 [February 11th, 2026]
- Maxwell invokes the Fifth Amendment at closed virtual House Oversight deposition - Rural Radio Network - February 11th, 2026 [February 11th, 2026]
- Ghislaine Maxwell expected to invoke Fifth Amendment in congressional deposition - Washington Examiner - February 11th, 2026 [February 11th, 2026]
- Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell cowardly pleads the Fifth Amendment during deposition - Sky News Australia - February 11th, 2026 [February 11th, 2026]
- Fifth Amendment to Agreement for Browns Mills Shopping Center Redevelopment OKd, Enabling Parties to Pursue Closing of Tract - Pine Barrens Tribune - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- More Historical Evidence Showing that the Public Use Clause of the Fifth Amendment Does Not Allow Takings that Transfer Property to Private Parties -... - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Government Notifies CGST (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2025; Inserts Rule 31D on Retail Sale PriceBased Valuation and Adds New Clause (f) in Rule 86B,... - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- The fifth amendment: A path back to the people? - The Jakarta Post - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Evertec Inc - On Nov 25, Enters Into Fifth Amendment To Credit Agreement - SEC Filing - TradingView - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Brooklyn mom of missing 11-year-old autistic boy invokes Fifth Amendment in Family Court - New York Daily News - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Stepmother Cites Fifth Amendment, Says FBI Probe Could Target Minor in Teen Cruise Ship Mystery Death - LAmag - November 24th, 2025 [November 24th, 2025]
- Officer invokes Fifth Amendment in trial of former SAPD officers - WOAI - October 19th, 2025 [October 19th, 2025]
- BREAKING: Appellate Court finds one of Patrick Tate Adamiaks convictions violated Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment - Second Amendment... - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Ligado and the Fifth Amendment Fight Over Spectrum Rights - The National Interest - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Key witness invoked the Fifth Amendment in Akron murder trial. Should he have testified? - Akron Beacon Journal - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Actions of federal government are upending the due process of the Fifth Amendment [letter] - LancasterOnline - August 24th, 2025 [August 24th, 2025]
- WATCH: Second Biden official invokes the Fifth Amendment during House deposition - InsideNoVa.com - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Biden officials are hiding behind Fifth Amendment to avoid incrimination, congressman says - MSN - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Another Biden aide invokes Fifth Amendment in deposition before House panel - Rural Radio Network - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]