Congressman Elijah Cummings Issues Statement on Reports that President Asked FBI Director Comey to End the Flynn Investigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2017

CONTACT: Jennifer Werner/Aryele Bradford
(202) 226-5181

Cummings Issues Statement on Reports that President
Asked Director Comey to End Flynn Investigation

Washington, D.C. (May 16, 2017) – Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement in response to press reports that President Donald Trump asked FBI Director James Comey to shut down the federal investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn in a February meeting in the Oval Office:

“This is an explosive allegation, and it appears like a textbook case of criminal obstruction of justice.

We need to hear testimony immediately from Director Comey—in public. When Director Comey held his press conference last summer announcing no charges against Secretary Clinton, Chairman Chaffetz had Director Comey in the witness chair before the Oversight Committee for an emergency hearing within 48 hours. We should do exactly the same here.

We also obviously need to get Director Comey’s memos immediately, as well as all associated records, including any audio tapes, and notes, if they exist.

In addition, in March—just a month after this meeting between the President and Director Comey—I sent a bipartisan letter to the White House with Chairman Jason Chaffetz requesting documents relating to General Flynn. But the White House has obstructed our congressional investigation, covered up for General Flynn, and refused to provide a single document.

These actions raise a host of questions. Is this what the White House has been hiding? Were there conversations or emails within the White House about the President asking Director Comey to drop the investigation? Why has our Committee refused to follow up at all to demand these documents from the White House? We need a vote this week on a subpoena to the White House to demand the documents that Chairman Chaffetz and I requested in March.”

On April 27, 2017, all Democratic Members on the Oversight Committee pressed Chairman Chaffetz to get the White House documents relating to General Flynn.