Krishnamoorthi expressed concern over Trump using his executive power to pardon Flynn, which the president had once openly said will be used more “aggressively.”
Indian American lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi has urged President Trump not to pardon former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who reportedly failed to disclose his plan to work with Russia to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East.
Krishnamoorthi also said that the newly popped up data of Flynn’s efforts in promoting interests of groups in the middle east while he was the National Security Advisor of the President is relevant to the ongoing investigation against him, conducted by Special Counsel.
“Today, I am calling on President Trump to pledge not to pardon former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. As the scale of the allegations against Michael Flynn and his foreign entanglements has grown, so too has his clear relevance to Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in our democracy,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.
“Federal authorities have already highlighted Michael Flynn’s receipt of large payments on behalf of the Russian and Turkish governments, and today we learned more about his reported failure to disclose his efforts to arrange for a nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Russian government,” he added.
After today's news, I called on the President to pledge not to pardon former National Security Advisor Michael Flynnhttps://t.co/JVMHNG76pA pic.twitter.com/nyJyWwvQiO
— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) September 13, 2017
Krishnamoorthi expressed concern over Trump using his executive power to pardon Flynn, which the president had once openly said will be used more “aggressively”. He said that this could result in the sabotage of the Special Counsel’s investigation.
Indian American lawmaker said, “The President has already demonstrated his willingness to use his pardon power aggressively, and he has reportedly explored using it as a means of sabotaging the Special Counsel’s investigation.”
Krishnamoorthi also urged the president to condemn his former National Security Advisor for his actions.
“The allegations against Michael Flynn are serious, as are all those under investigation by Mr. Mueller and his team. Considering these circumstances, I urge the President – in the strongest possible terms – not to use his pardon power on behalf of Michael Flynn,” concluded Krishnamoorthi.
Later during the day, Krishnamoorthi was appointed by the Democratic Party to a leadership position in the new task force on the economy.
He will serve as co-chair for the New Economy Task Force along with his Democratic Congressional colleagues Suzan DelBene, Debbie Dingell, and Darren Soto.