Exclusive: Flynn deposition reveals questions about pressure on U.S. intelligence ahead of Jan. 6
CBSN
New audio files obtained by CBS News reveal how a congressional investigator pushed retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, to testify about his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and questioned Flynn about whether he pressured military and intelligence officials to assist him with that endeavor. GEORGE: General Flynn, did you ever encourage anyone to enter the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in order to disrupt the joint session of Congress? GEORGE: Between November 3, 2020 and January 20, 2021, did you have any conversations with any current or former officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding election fraud or other irregularities in the 2020 presidential elections? GEORGE: In your phone call with Mr. Cohen. Did you tell him that he needed to return to the United States from his trip abroad because, quote, something's about to happen, unquote? GEORGE: And during the second phone call with Mr. Cohen, did you tell him that, quote, We need to have the military take over the election and redo the election, unquote? Or something like that? GEORGE: Pull up exhibit number 11, please. General Flynn, can you see what I'm showing there as exhibit number 11? GEORGE: We understand that around December 2020, you contacted Mr. Anthony Tata from the Department of Defense regarding the 2020 election. Is that true? GEORGE: Did you ever discuss with any members of 1AP expectations or plans for January 6, 2021? GEORGE: And who else was at Mr. Wood's estate when you were there around Thanksgiving?
The audio files are the latest window into the work of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol and its attempt to learn more about the extent of Flynn's contacts with defense and intelligence officials. FLYNN: The Fifth. FLYNN: The Fifth. FLYNN: The Fifth. FLYNN: The Fifth. FLYNN: I can see, yeah, the bottom, I guess the bottom part. FLYNN: The Fifth. FLYNN: The Fifth. FLYNN: The Fifth.
Flynn's activity has long been a point of interest for the committee, according to two people familiar with the Jan. 6 panel who were not authorized to speak publicly, and it has probed witnesses about whether Flynn pressured people working inside the government as he supported Trump on the outside. From the beginning of the deposition, George pushed Flynn to detail any engagement he may have had with officials inside the government who could have used their positions to help him with his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. GEORGE: What was about to happen when you said something is about to happen to Mr. Cohen? GEORGE: Did you say anything to the effect of getting the military involved in the 2020 presidential election? GEORGE: Yes, we're focused on the bottom, which is an e-mail dated Friday, December 11, 2020, at 3:56 p.m. GEORGE: Mr. Wood has said that Ms. Powell and others set up in his living room in one of his sunrooms and had computers and whiteboards. He described it as an election central. Does that sound like an accurate characterization of what you saw when you were there?
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