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| Michael Flynn |
The Senate Intelligence Committee, seeking to accelerate its broad investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election, has asked a number of high-profile Trump campaign associates to hand over emails and other records of communications and dealings with Russian officials and businesspeople.
The requests, made in letters sent by the committee in the past 10 days, are a preliminary step and open the way to subpoenas for anyone who does not comply, said two officials with knowledge of the Senate investigation. They said Senator Richard M. Burr, a North Carolina Republican who is chairman of the committee, was prepared to compel the Trump associates to turn over their records.
Among those who said they had received the requests were Roger J. Stone, an informal adviser to President Trump, and Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman, and Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser, were also sent letters, said the officials with knowledge of the investigation. Representatives for both men declined to comment.
The letter from the Senate committee, which was jointly signed by Senator Burr and Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who is vice chairman of the panel, asks its recipients to list all the meetings they had with Russian officials or business people from June 16, 2015, through Jan. 20, 2017. It set a May 9 deadline for a response.
Then, the committee requested that by May 19, the recipients hand over records of all communications — including emails, text messages and phone logs — with Russian officials or business people from the same period. It also asks them for information on any of their financial or real estate holdings related to Russia and to list any meetings they know of between other Trump campaign associates and Russians.
Now we're talking.
I currently have concerns about every one of the investigations into the Trump associates collusion with Russia, but I remain tentatively optimistic that one or more of these investigations will get to the truth and that we will see the end of the Trump presidency.
What can I say, I dare to dream big.
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