Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Top GOP investigators on the Hill say they won’t investigate Michael Flynn

House Republicans are not eager to investigate Michael Flynn.

House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. Jason Chaffetz said his committee will not investigate Flynn’s contact with the Russian government, or the extent of his communications with White House officials.

The former national security adviser resigned Monday over a scandal stemming from a call with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in which Flynn talked about sanctions before Donald Trump took office.

Related

“It’s taking care of itself,” Chaffetz told reporters Tuesday, according to Politico’s Kyle Cheney, adding that further investigation would be up to the House Intelligence Committee.

But Republican House Intelligence Committee Chair David Nunes said Tuesday that his committee won’t look into conversations between Trump and Flynn, according to CNN’s Manu Raju. Nunes cited executive privilege — a privilege typically claimed by the president for withholding information in the public interest.

Instead, Nunes said he is most concerned that the FBI was recording Flynn’s call with the Russian envoy — which was then leaked to press.

“I expect for the FBI to tell me what is going on, and they better have a good answer,” Nunes told the Washington Post, in line with Trump’s response to Flynn’s resignation. “The big problem I see here is that you have an American citizen who had his phone calls recorded.”

Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that the “real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington.”

Flynn resigned late Monday amid scandal over the call with the Russian ambassador, which he made the same day President Barack Obama’s administration placed new sanctions on Moscow. The sanctions were punishment for interfering in the 2016 presidential election. The White House has been giving a lot of mixed messages about just how much Trump and top officials knew about the call.

A series of leaks revealed Flynn had lied to top White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about the extent of his conversations with the Russian envoy — and that he had discussed the sanctions. On Monday, the Washington Post again reported that the Justice Department had informed the White House of the dangers of Flynn’s ties with Russia in January. But last week, Trump told reporters he had not heard of any such report.


Watch: Michael Flynn resigns

More in Politics

Podcasts
The Supreme Court abortion pills case, explainedThe Supreme Court abortion pills case, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

How Louisiana brought mifepristone back to SCOTUS.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Politics
Trump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expectedTrump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expected
Politics

As Trump heads to China, attention and resources are being shifted from Asia to yet another war in the Middle East.

By Joshua Keating
Politics
Are far-right politics just the new normal?Are far-right politics just the new normal?
Politics

Liberals are preparing for a longer war with right-wing populists than they once expected.

By Zack Beauchamp
The Logoff
Flavored vapes doomed Trump’s FDA headFlavored vapes doomed Trump’s FDA head
The Logoff

Why Marty Makary is out at the FDA, briefly explained.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Virginia Democrats’ irresponsible new plan to save their gerrymanderVirginia Democrats’ irresponsible new plan to save their gerrymander
Politics

Democrats just handed the Supreme Court’s Republicans a loaded weapon.

By Ian Millhiser
The Logoff
Can Trump lower gas prices?Can Trump lower gas prices?
The Logoff

What suspending the gas tax would mean for you, briefly explained.

By Cameron Peters