The Senate Intelligence Committee is issuing two new subpoenas for Michael Flynn's businesses to compel him to hand over documents about his contacts with Russian officials. The subpoenas are targeted at businesses Flynn ran, which can't invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination, as Flynn did.
The committee also sent a letter to Flynn's lawyers asking why the ousted national security advisor invoked the Fifth with regard to documents and not testimony, per NBC.
The committee is leaving open the possibility of contempt charges against Flynn if he doesn't acquiesce, and Senator Marco Rubio tweeted that if Flynn refuses, "all options should be on table."
The context: Flynn's lawyers cite the appointment of a special prosecutor and an "escalating public frenzy against him" as the reasons he has not complied with the committee to date.
In a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee Monday, Michael Flynn's attorneys cite the Department of Justice's appointment of a special prosecutor and an "escalating public frenzy against him" as the reasons Flynn is refusing to turn over records in response to a congressional subpoena, reports the AP. An excerpt from the letter:
"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him."
Flynn is exercising his 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination.
Meanwhile:NBC News reports that Paul Manafort and Roger Stone have turned over documents to the committee.
Conservatives are slowly coming around on climate change.
Over the past few years, more than a half-dozen organizations have popped up pushing conservative climate-change and clean-energy policies, and the percentage of congressional Republicans going on the record acknowledging climate is a problem has gone from zero to 8%, as judged by a House caucus on the issue.
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