Cummings Calls on Gowdy to Issue Subpoenas to Obtain Flynn Jr.’s Security Clearance Application

Jan 16, 2018
Press Release

Cummings Calls on Gowdy to

Issue Subpoenas to Obtain Flynn Jr.’s

Security Clearance Application

 

Washington, D.C. (Jan. 16, 2018)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter requesting that Chairman Trey Gowdy issue subpoenas to compel the production of portions of the security clearance application submitted by Michael Flynn, Jr.—the son of President Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn—which the Trump Administration has been withholding from Congress.

“We do not know whether Michael Flynn, Jr., like his father, concealed the source of Russian payments for his trip to Moscow in 2015 when he submitted his security clearance application,” Cummings wrote.  “We also do not know whether Michael Flynn, Jr., like his father, omitted other foreign contacts and trips, although news accounts have reported that Michael Flynn, Jr. ‘made several other forays abroad with his father’.”

Cummings’ letter comes after Vice President Mike Pence, who served as head of the Trump Transition Team and was responsible for submitting security clearance applications, has refused to respond to multiple requests for information:

  • On November 16, 2016, Cummings sent a letter requesting that Pence produce information relating to security clearances submitted on behalf of members of the Trump Transition Team.  Pence failed to respond to this letter.

  • Two days later, Cummings wrote again to Pence, expressing grave concerns about General Flynn’s “apparent conflicts of interests” and work on behalf of foreign governments.  Pence failed to respond to this letter.

  • One year later—on November 16, 2017—Cummings sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—which processes security clearances and conducts background checks for Transition Team personnel—requesting documents relating to the “foreign contacts” sections of Flynn, Jr.’s security clearance application.

  • On December 5, 2017, the FBI responded in a letter to Cummings that appeared to acknowledge that it is in possession of a security clearance application from Flynn, Jr., but asserted that “[a]ny decision to release materials” relating to this inquiry “would be made in consultation with the relevant agency(ies)”—which in this case is the Trump Transition Team that was led by Pence.

  • “In order to exhaust all avenues,” Cummings sent yet another letter to Pence on December 18, 2017, this time referencing the FBI’s letter and requesting that Pence authorize the FBI to produce these documents.  Since Pence had claimed publicly that he never received Cummings’ previous letters, Cummings requested the courtesy of a response by December 22, 2017.  Pence never responded to this letter.

“For the reasons set forth above, I request that you issue subpoenas compelling, by January 30, 2018, the production of all documents in the possession or control of the FBI, Department of Justice, or Trump Transition Team” relating to Flynn Jr.’s security clearance, Cummings wrote.  “If you decline to join this request, I ask that you allow Committee Members to debate and vote on motions to issue these subpoenas at our next regularly scheduled business meeting.”

Click here to read today’s letter to Gowdy.

115th Congress