The House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas Wednesday – reportedly to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and President Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen – in its probe of Russian meddling in the November election.
The panel, headed by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., issued four subpoenas relating to the actual Russia investigation, both The Wall Street Journal and Reuters reported.
Three others concern questions about how and why the names of Trump associates were unredacted and distributed within classified reports by Obama administration officials during the presidential transition.
Reuters reported Flynn, whom Trump fired in February regarding disclosures about his Russian ties to Vice President Mike Pence, and Cohen were subpoenaed.
Both news organizations attributed their reports to "sources familiar with the matter." Rep. Adam Schiff confirmed the subpoenas Wednesday night via Twitter.
Other agencies subpoenaed were the National Security Agency, the FBI and the CIA.
The panel was seeking information about the agencies' "unmasking" procedures, the Journal reported.
Committee Republicans have been demanding answers on how the names of President Trump's campaign officials were exposed in classified reports that resulted from interceptions of various communications.
The subpoenas seek information on requests from Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan and former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power, according to the Journal.
They seek all the names that were unmasked in the classified reports.
However, those three Obama administration officials did not personally receive subpoenas, the sources told the Journal.
Brennan, Rice, and Power did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Journal reported Power has not been previously named in the committee's investigation – "so her inclusion in the subpoenas may mean Republicans are broadening their areas of investigation."
In addition, the Intelligence Committee sent a letter to former White House press aide Boris Epshteyn asking him to voluntarily submit information to the committee, according to the Journal's report.
Epshteyn quit his job as special assistant to the president in March after two months.
"Like many others, Mr. Epshteyn has received a broad, preliminary request for information from the House Intelligence Committee," an attorney for Mr. Epshteyn, who was not identified, told the Journal. "This is a voluntary request.
"Mr. Epshteyn has not been subpoenaed, nor do we anticipate that he will be.
"We have reached out to the committee with several follow up questions," the attorney continued, "and we are awaiting their response in order to better understand what information they are seeking and whether Mr. Epshteyn is able to reasonably provide it."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.