Republicans Split Over Investigations Of Russia, Michael Flynn

Republicans disagree about how to proceed after National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned over his communications with a Russian official. While some want to push past the issue, others are calling for official investigations.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the Republican from Utah who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, told reporters that the situation was "taking care of itself," presumably referring to Flynn's resignation, indicating he wouldn't pursue the matter further.

Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told reporters that there needs to be an investigation into Flynn's actions. Cornyn has been critical of President Trump's ties to Russia prior to this incident.

Republican Sen. Roy Blunt agreed with Cornyn.

"I think everybody needs that investigation to happen," said Blunt on KTRS. "And the Senate Intelligence Committee, again that I serve on, has been given the principle responsibility to look into this, and I think that we should look into it exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, and shouldn't reach conclusions before you have the information that you need to have to make those conclusions."

Some are trying to shift the focus to the leaks that led to the revelations about Flynn and away from Flynn's conduct.

In a tweet sent out Tuesday morning, President Trump said, "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?"

Rep. Devin Nunes, a California Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said Flynn deserves "gratitude and respect." He told the press that while he does not believe Flynn's actions require any more scrutiny, the leaked reports that led to his departure may be investigated further. Nunes worked on the Trump transition team.

The Army has been investigating whether Flynn received money from the Russian government during a trip he took to Moscow in 2015, two defense officials told The New York Times.

Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican, took a more critical tone toward the president than most others in his party.

"General Flynn’s resignation is a troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus," he said in a statement. "General Flynn’s resignation also raises further questions about the Trump administration’s intentions toward Vladimir Putin’s Russia, including statements by the President suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our NATO allies, and attempted interference in American elections."

Democrats, seeing the administration in a vulnerable position, are calling for more answers.

"Congress must pull its head out of the sand and launch a real, bipartisan, transparent inquiry into Russia," Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted Tuesday. "Our [national] security is at stake."

According to Politico, Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a closed-door meeting Tuesday that more information about Flynn's communications with Russia would be forthcoming.

"While Congressional Republicans have turned a blind eye to their constitutional duty to conduct oversight on these issues," said Rep. John Conyers, of Michigan, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, of Maryland, in a joint statement Monday night, "we Democrats believe that this new disclosure warrants a full classified briefing by all relevant agencies, including the Department of Justice and the FBI, as soon as possible and certainly before Thursday, February 16. We are communicating this request to the Department of Justice and FBI this evening."

Photo credit: Don LaVange