House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: With less than two months to go, race for the White House heats up Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington Sunday shows preview: White House, congressional Democrats unable to breach stalemate over coronavirus relief MORE (R-Calif.) said that President Trump's former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, was doing the U.S. "a favor" by speaking with the Russian ambassador last year.



“From everything that I can see, his conversations with the Russian ambassador, he was doing this country a favor, and he should be thanked for it,” Nunes said, according to The New York Times.

The lawmaker's comments come ahead of the committee's first public hearing relating to Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

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The preliminary list of witnesses invited to the March 20 hearing does not include the former national security advisor.

FBI Director James Comey is expected to testify at the hearing, while others invited to testify include National Security Agency head Adm. Mike Rogers, former CIA Director John Brennan, former national intelligence director James Clapper, former acting Attorney General Sally Yates and two senior officials from a cybersecurity firm that pointed to Russian involvement in the Democratic National Committee breach.

Nunes had cautioned on Monday that the witness list was preliminary and could change. He emphasized that Flynn was "a tangent" to the investigation, according to the Times.

Flynn was fired in February after he misled Vice President Pence and other senior administration officials about his conversation with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

On the whole, Nunes has also been critical of the allegations that President Trump's associates had contact with the Russian government.