Michael Flynn requests immunity in exchange for testimony

Michael Flynn, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, has asked for immunity in exchange for testifying in Congress’s investigations into Russian interference in the US election.

On Thursday, Mr Flynn’s lawyer said that the president’s ex-adviser had offered to testify in the House and Senate Intelligence Committees’ hearings on Russia, only if he had reasonable assurances that he would not be targeted for prosecution.

“No reasonable person, who has the benefit of advice from counsel, would submit to questioning in such a highly politicized, witch-hunt environment without assurances against unfair prosecution,” Mr Flynn’s lawyer, Robert Kelner, said in a statement.

Mr Kelner did not offer details about under what circumstances Mr Flynn might be testifying, but he suggested that his client’s comments would be useful for Senate and House investigators.

“General Flynn certainly has a story to tell and he very much wants to tell it should circumstances permit,” he said.

Should Mr Flynn appear before the committees in a public hearing, it is likely to draw even further attention to Congress’ and the FBI’s probe into Russian interference in the November election – and contacts between Russian officials and Trump campaign officials.

Mr Flynn was fired from the White House less than a month into the job after it emerged that he had made false comments about his communications with the Russian ambassador before Mr Trump took office, misleading Vice President Mike Pence in the process.

There is no indication as of yet that either Congress will agree to Mr Flynn’s request for immunity.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Flynn, through his lawyer, had made the immunity offer to both the FBI and Congress, but that both parties were unwilling to agree to the deal until they were further along in their investigations and had a better sense of what information Mr Flynn might be offering.