Former US national security advisor Michael Flynn may have lied to investigators during the Barack Obama administration who were deciding whether or not to renew his security clearance, it has been alleged.
The allegation came in a letter written by Elijah Cummings, a US politican and ranking member of the House oversight committee.
In the USA, the committee works to keep Americans informed on how well government money is spent, as well and to protect US citizens' right to an efficient and effective government.
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Cummings' accusation comes off the back of allegations that Flynn failed to make known ties with foreign governments as he prepared the join the Trump administration, namely Russia, a country which has had increasingly worse relations with America in recent years, and whose government was alleged to have interfered in the US elections in favour of the eventual winner, through cyber hacks.
The allegation comes at the same time of a revelation that Donald Trump may have asked director of national intelligence, Daniel Coats, and Admiral Michael S. Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, to deny the existence of any collusion between his election team and groups in Russia.
The Washington Post reported that both men declined to do so, citing the request as inappropriate, not dissimilar to the refusal of former FBI head James Comey (dismissed by Trump) to pledge "loyalty" to the US president and successful Republican candidate.
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"The White House does not confirm or deny unsubstantiated claims based on illegal leaks from anonymous individuals," said a White House spokesman after inquiries.
Flynn was issued with a subpoena demanding he submit documents relating to his engagement and supposed dealings with foreign agencies, but has so far refused to do so despite being a person of interest to US authorities investigating alleged external influence in the US election.
Flynn is now accused of doing paid work for both the Russian and Turkish governments, work which he did not disclose while working for the Trump campaign during the now president's successful run to the Oval Office and then briefly (he was eventually fired) during Trump's presidency as his national security advisor.
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He was fired after it was revealed that Flynn had spoken with Russian ambassador Sergey Kisylak, something he supposedly hid from Mike Pence and other members of the new administration. The White House did not immediately comment on the latest developments but the president has been a staunch defender of Flynn, blaming "leaks" for his eventual exit from the US administration.
In his letter to the oversight committee chairman, Jason Chaffetz, Cummings wrote: "The oversight committee has in our possession documents that appear to indicate that General Flynn lied to investigators who interviewed him in 2016 as part of his security clearance renewal.
Specifically, the committee has obtained a report of investigation dated March 14, 2016, showing that General Flynn told security clearance investigators that he was paid 'by US companies' when he traveled to Moscow in December 2015 to dine at a gala with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The actual source of the funds for general Flynn's trip was not a US company, but the Russian media propaganda arm, RT."
Flynn's legal team pinned his refusal to cooperate with investigations on an "escalating public frenzy against him", though both Cummings and Chaffetz said in April it was likely Flynn had broken the law in not disclosing payments regarding his work with the Turkish and Russian governments.
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Source: The Guardian
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