Former national security adviser Mike Flynn should not receive immunity to testify in front of Congress or speak to the FBI, Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Monday.
Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said on CNN that Flynn might have a story to tell, but if he’s the subject of an investigation he shouldn’t be given immunity to talk.
“I don’t think he should get immunity. Immunity for what, first of all,” he said. “If there’s an open and active investigation from the FBI, they shouldn’t do that.”
Chaffetz said Flynn received tens of thousands of dollars in payments from the governments of Russia and Turkey for speeches and consulting fees, which he should not have done as a retired senior Army officer.
He said the Oversight Committee is investigating whether Flynn broke the law by not receiving permission from the State Department to receive money from those governments. Chaffetz said the Government Accountability Office would be asked this week to determine if Flynn violated the law.
“You’re just not able to receive these types of payments as a former military officer,” he said.
Chaffetz denied Trump’s claims that the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election is a “witch hunt” and said Trump needs to be more open with investigators.
“I don’t think it’s a witch hunt … there’s a swirl out there we need to get to the bottom of,” he said.
He added, “We want all of the information.”
