Former Trump adviser Michael Flynn likely broke law with Russian Federation trip: Lawmakers

Congressional committees are investigating Russia's attempt to manipulate the outcome of the 2016 USA presidential election as well as alleged ties between members of the Trump campaign and high-ranking Russian officials. Congress returned earlier this week from its spring recess, and Tuesday's announcements reflected renewed interest on Capitol Hill.

Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, along with ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, told reporters Tuesday Flynn failed to ask for permission to speak at a 2015 event in Russian Federation or register to lobby on behalf of the government of Turkey.

"As a former military officer, you simply can not take money from Russia, Turkey or anybody else", Chaffetz said, referring to Flynn's consulting firm's undisclosed work with a company tied to the Turkish government.

CLASSIFIED military documents show Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, took money from Russian Federation and failed to disclose it, two top USA politicians say.

The Oversight Committee met on Tuesday morning to review classified material provided by the Department of Defense in response to a March 22 request for more information on Flynn.

The Oversight Committee has been investigating whether Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, properly disclosed foreign payments he received for work overseas, including a speech in late 2015 to Russia's state-owned TV network Russia Today for which he which he received over $33,000. Cummings of Maryland called for the documents to be declassified "to the fullest extent possible".

The committee also wants documents relating to Flynn's security clearance.

Flynn campaigned for and advised Trump before the presidential election and was chosen as national security adviser in January. Chaffetz quickly brushed aside that hope on MSNBC, diverting blame from the Trump administration to which Flynn was appointed a senior role.

Flynn's failure to obtain permission from military authorities for the payments raises concern whether Flynn violated a constitutional ban on foreign payments to retired military officers.

He also took press secretary Sean Spicer to task for refusing to say whether the White House believed Flynn broke the law. "He answered any questions that were posed by DIA concerning the trip during those briefings", the statement said.

There, Flynn's contacts will be discussed, and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates is set to testify as well.

Flynn was also supposed to seek permission from the State Department and the secretary of the Army prior to traveling to Russian Federation in December 2015, where he spoke at an global conference hosted by RT in Moscow. During a televised RT celebration, Flynn sat at the head table, next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Elijah Cummings, the Democratic vice chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said the reporting violations may constitute felony crimes that could bring up to five years imprisonment.

After an hourlong classified briefing, Chaffetz said he had seen no evidence Flynn complied with the law.

The White House has responded, making it clear that they won't comply.

In a parallel development, with concerns mounting that Republicans are stalling the Russian Federation probe, the Senate Intelligence Committee announced that two top former officials - ex-acting attorney general Sally Yates and former director of national intelligence James Clapper - will testify on May 8. While Chaffetz has led the examination into Flynn's dealings, he has relegated other investigations to the House Intelligence Committee.

What's far more confusing to me is why the White House doesn't appear to be cooperating with the committee's investigation into Flynn.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is probing the Trump-Russia ties, announced it would hold a hearing on May 8.