Flynn ready to testify in exchange for immunity: Media

Washington, March 31 (IANS) Former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is ready to testify, in exchange for immunity, before the FBI and members of Congress investigating possible links between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign, a media report said.

Flynn, a retired Army general whom Trump had appointed his National Security Adviser (NSA) upon taking office on January 20, resigned on February 13 amid a scandal after he lied about his contacts with Kremlin representatives to top US officials, including Vice President Mike Pence.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on Thursday, Flynn told the FBI and members of Congress that he was willing to testify if he is guaranteed immunity from prosecution.

The newspaper’s sources said that Flynn made the offer via his attorney both to the Federal Bureau of Investigation agency and to the Senate and House Intelligence Committees.

Although the responses of those three entities is not yet known, Efe news reported.

The WSJ noted that Flynn was one of Trump’s presidential campaign advisers and the mogul later gave him one of the key posts in the new administration, although he didn’t last long in that capacity.

Among the discussions in which Flynn participated, according to the Journal, were some involving reviewing the sanctions imposed on Russia by the former Barack Obama administration after the Kremlin’s interference in the US election campaign.

One of the official sources told the Journal that it is not clear if Flynn had offered to testify about a specific aspect of his work with the Trump campaign, but the fact that he is seeking immunity leads one to believe that he is facing legal risks.

Flynn resigned as the NSA after it became public that he had hidden the nature of his conversations with Russian Ambassador to Washington Sergey Kislyak.

It is also known that Flynn received tens of thousands of dollars from three Russian companies, including the RT television network, for speeches he gave shortly before he joined Trump’s campaign, the media report said.