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It's not the only one.
The Senate Intelligence Committee also wishes to meet with other officials in Trump's orbit accused in the investigation of Special Advocate Robert Mueller, including the Former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former Trump campaign chairman. Paul Manafort, his former MP Rick Gates and his former campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, according to committee officials and sources close to the investigation.
"I think it's safe to say that if they were indicted, they were on our list". President Richard Burr, a Republican from North Carolina, told CNN. "We could potentially talk to a lot of people."
The witnesses, if they testified, would help the Senate Intelligence Committee resolve the issues during its investigation into the Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which remained a bipartisan investigation it is so severely tested. for almost two years, but he has not yet reached consensus on the conspiracy of the Trump campaign with the Kremlin. Burr and Virginia senator Mark Warner, the party's highest-ranking Democrat, have been waiting to speak – or in some cases, re-interview – several key officials after agreeing to cooperate with Mueller, but the opportunity may soon arise. [19659005] The committee began discussions with the special advocate and defense lawyers to gain access to several co-operating Mueller witnesses, in addition to Mr. Cohen, including Flynn, Papadopoulos and Gates, according to a source. familiar with the investigation.
also continued to revisit earlier interviews as his discoveries progressed, including from Mueller's court records, another source familiar with the investigation said.
"A number of witnesses had to start with a lawsuit with Mueller," Warner says. "Once these procedures are over," the committee can go ahead, he said, "and for many of them they are over now."
The future chairman of the House's intelligence committee, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California, also expressed the wish to speak again to Cohen, who testified in camera in front of the two intelligence panels. ;last year. Schiff also claimed to be in contact with Cohen's legal team.
"We will certainly want to pursue the thread of the investigation on … the contacts that the Trump campaign associates had with WikiLeaks," said Schiff, adding that Stone's testimony in front of his panel in 2017 "could have been much less important" than True. "
Cohen Ready to Testify
It was expected that he would report to prison on March 6. Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a statement that his client was ready to speak to Congress once Mueller's investigation is over. "At the appropriate time, once Mr. Mueller has completed his investigation and released his final report, I look forward to helping Michael declare publicly all he knows about Mr. Trump – and especially any congressional committee interested in seeking the truth. and the difference between the facts and the lies, "Davis said.
But it is not clear whether the congressional leaders will wait for Mueller because the special council did not disclose its position at the time of concluding. [19659015] "I'm I do not know how we'll get him out of jail," Burr said Wednesday, "I can only tell you that we are in conversation and we have been talking to Michael Cohen's legal staff, and we believe that It is very likely that he will come and talk to us. "
He was asked if he would issue a subpoena to testify for Cohen's testimony., Burr said," We will discuss . "
It is unclear what Burr knows about Mueller's case that a Russian national approached Cohen in 2015 to propose a" political synergy "with the Trump campaign." Asked about the revelation, Burr replied. : "I think everything was related to business. He was in the process of negotiating a trade agreement. "
Negotiation with other witnesses
The Senate Committee also engaged with others
The committee contacted Flynn in the early days of its investigation of Russia, although it requested immunity to testify in March 2017. The committee continued to maintain contact with Flynn's lawyers, who Pleaded guilty and subsequently cooperated with Mueller, said one of the sources. "Flynn will be sentenced later this month and the special advocate has recommended no jail time. [19659002] The committee interviewed Manafort last year before being indicted by the special advocate and before many twists related to the investigations on Russia are unearthed. – Although continuing his interview with him may be more complicated, the special advocate now accusing Manafort of having lied after agreeing to cooperate.
Jason Maloni, spokesman for Manafort, said that if the committee sent Manafort a
"Mr. Manafort answered all the questions that were put to him, and I never heard that he was something other than honest and frank, "Maloni said of Manafort's testimony in July 2017.
Warner said there was no way of knowing what the Special Advisor's investigation had been reveal that the Senate investigation had not been learned, although he acknowledged that Mueller had more tools to convince witnesses to speak.
"There are a number of key people who, because of the power to lay criminal charges, have clearly demonstrated more cooperation with Mueller," Warner said. "It has more influence on some of the key witnesses, and in many cases, you know, we come to a certain point and then we meet someone who is under investigation Mueller."
Burr told a forum last month that the Senate Intelligence Committee has referred several people to the special prosecution board, including for lying to the committee, a charge that Cohen pleaded guilty to last week.
"We intend to make them available to the special council as soon as possible," said Schiff.
On Wednesday, Warner said that he was eager to know exactly what Cohen had lied to the committee and what else he had told Mueller.
"I can not wait to find out what it is," Warner says. "What other stories, what other facts did Mr. Cohen tell the special prosecutor?"
