Kirsten Gillibrand

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., says Congress should form an independent, select committee to investigate the Trump administration and its ties to Russia. Gillibrand, shown in a Jan. 12, 2017, file photo at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

(J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Wednesday that Congress should launch an independent, non-partisan probe to determine the extent of President Trump's ties to Russia.

Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the resignation of Michael Flynn as Trump's national security adviser only raises more questions that need to be answered about the extent of discussions between the new administration and Russia about easing U.S. sanctions.

Flynn had assured Vice President Mike Pence that he never had any discussions about the sanctions with Russia's ambassador, but the Justice Department found evidence to the contrary and informed Trump on Jan. 26.

Pence only found out about the Justice Department findings by reading a report in the Washington Post.

"It is deeply disturbing that President Trump's administration apparently knew for a month that his national security adviser had misled the vice president and did nothing about it until the information became public" this week, Gillibrand said.

"This raises additional questions that need to be answered by an independent select committee that is free of partisan politics to get all of the facts regarding the Trump administration and Russia," Gillibrand said in a statement.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has resisted the idea of forming a select committee to investigate Flynn and any Russian attempts to influence the new administration.

McConnell said Flynn would likely be asked to speak with the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is already investigating Russia's attempts to disrupt the 2016 presidential election.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Democratic leader, has also called for an investigation, but he has not specified what form it should take or who should lead the probe.

Schumer said the investigation should be conducted by an outside entity that would have the ability to pursue criminal charges. He said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation because he served alongside Flynn on Trump's national security advisory committee.

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