The panel is also issuing subpoenas to businesses owned by Michael Flynn and Michael Cohen. | Getty House Russia investigators subpoena Flynn, Cohen

The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday approved subpoenas for former national security adviser Michael Flynn and President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, as part of the panel’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the presidential election.

The panel is also issuing subpoenas to businesses owned by the two men.


The subpoenas to Flynn and Cohen were among seven subpoenas issued by the House committee on Wednesday, according to a congressional source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Four of the subpoenas were related to the Russia probe, and three others were related to the issue of “unmasking” — the process used by intelligence officials to learn the identities of people inside the United States who are referenced in intelligence reports.

Unmasking is a routine process, but some congressional Republicans have expressed concerns about whether it was abused during the Obama administration to uncover the identities of Trump campaign aides whose identities should have been shielded.

A senior committee aide said that subpoenas related to the 'unmasking' issue would have been sent by Chairman Devin Nunes acting separately from the committee's Russia investigation. "This action would have been taken without the minority's agreement," the aide added. "Any prior requests for information would have been undertaken without the minority's knowledge."

Flynn and Cohen are part of a growing list of current and former Trump aides who have come under scrutiny from the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, which are exploring allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

Cohen on Tuesday declined a request to be interviewed and provide documents to the House committee. In a statement, Cohen said Wednesday he would work to cooperate with the subpoena.

"As I said, if subpoenaed I will work with my lawyers to cooperate with the various investigations," Cohen said.

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Flynn, meanwhile, agreed on Tuesday to provide some documents in response to separate subpoenas issued by the Senate Intelligence Committee, after initially refusing to comply with the panel’s requests and invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

A top Trump campaign surrogate, Flynn served as national security adviser for 24 days before being fired after it became clear he had misled his colleagues about discussing sanctions with Russia’s ambassador.

The House Intelligence panel’s top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, announced last week that Flynn would be subpoenaed.

"As part of our ongoing investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 campaign, today we approved subpoenas for several individuals for testimony, personal documents and business records," Schiff and Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), who’s leading the committee’s Russia probe, said in a joint statement. "We hope and expect that anyone called to testify or provide documents will comply with that request, so that we may gain all the information within the scope of our investigation.”

Darren Samuelsohn contributed to this report.