Posted May 31, 2017 14:21:27

Photo: Mr Flynn's cooperation is the first signal he and the Senate panel have found common ground. (Reuters: Carlos Barria)

Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn will provide some documents to the Senate intelligence committee as part of its probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

Earlier this month Mr Flynn's attorneys said the former adviser would plead the fifth amendment against self-incrimination by refusing to hand over anything to the Senate panel.

But he is now expected to hand over documents relating to his lobbying businesses.

Mr Flynn's decision came as President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, rejected a House intelligence committee request for information, and former White House staffer Boris Epshteyn confirmed he had been contacted for information as part of the House investigation.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin sounded similar tones as they criticised the ongoing US scrutiny of Russia's attempts to sway the presidential election.

Mr Flynn's cooperation is the first signal he and the Senate panel have found common ground.

Congressional investigators continue to press for key documents in the ongoing investigation, and the retired lieutenant general is trying to limit damaging disclosures that hostile Democratic lawmakers could use against him.

Michael Flynn's resignation from national security post has the potential to threaten careers all the way to the top.

Mr Flynn's attorneys had argued the original request was too broad and would have required Mr Flynn to turn over information that could have been used against him.

In response, the Senate panel narrowed the scope of its request. It also issued subpoenas seeking records from Mr Flynn's businesses.

One of the businesses, Flynn Intel Group Inc, did consulting work for a Turkish businessman that required Mr Flynn to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent earlier this year.

The other, Flynn Intel Group LLC, was used to accept money from Mr Flynn's paid speeches.

Among the payments was more than $33,000 Mr Flynn received from RT, the Russian state-sponsored television network that US intelligence officials have branded as a propaganda arm of the Kremlin.

A person close to Mr Flynn said he would turn over documents related to the two businesses, as well as some personal documents the committee sought in the narrower request.

Mr Flynn plans to produce some of the documents by next week, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Mr Flynn's private interactions with the committee.

AP

Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, defence-and-national-security, united-states, russian-federation