The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday formally requested that the Justice Department open an investigation into Erik Prince, a close ally of President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE, over his previous testimony to Congress.

In a letter sent to Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Hillicon Valley: DOJ proposes tech liability shield reform to Congress | Treasury sanctions individuals, groups tied to Russian malign influence activities | House Republican introduces bill to set standards for self-driving cars McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE, the panel's chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffPelosi, Democrats unveil bills to rein in alleged White House abuses of power Chris Matthews ripped for complimenting Trump's 'true presidential behavior' on Ginsburg Trump casts doubt on Ginsburg statement, wonders if it was written by Schiff, Pelosi or Schumer MORE (D-Calif.), wrote in part that special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's report "strongly indicates that Erik Prince knowingly and willfully provided materially false testimony to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence."

Prince, the founder and former CEO of the security firm Blackwater, was interviewed in a closed-door meeting by the committee as part of its investigation into Russia's election interference.

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Schiff has said in the past that Prince did not disclose to the panel a 2016 Trump Tower meeting he took part in to discuss Iran. The House Intelligence Committee chairman had signaled earlier on Tuesday that the panel would recommend the criminal referral.

The California Democrat also said the Mueller report indicated Prince lied to the committee about a meeting in the Seychelles with a Russian financier with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinNavalny released from hospital after suspected poisoning Ex-Trump national security adviser says US leaders 'making it easy for Putin' to meddle The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting MORE.

"Mr. Prince’s false statements hindered the Committee’s ability to fully understand and examine foreign efforts to undermine our political process and national security, develop appropriate legislative and policy remedies to counter future malign influence operations targeting campaigns and presidential transitions, and inform the American public, as appropriate," Schiff wrote to Barr.

Mueller’s report said Prince arranged the January 2017 Seychelles meeting with George Nader, a business executive who has advised the United Arab Emirates and has ties to Russian banker Kirill Dmitriev. Dmitriev had expressed to Nader an interest in connecting with incoming administration officials after Trump was elected.

Prince did not work in an official capacity on the Trump campaign but was affiliated with some of its top staffers, including campaign CEO Stephen Bannon, who later became White House chief strategist.

Prince told the intelligence panel that his meeting with Dmitriev was a chance encounter proposed by representatives from the United Arab Emirates once he was already in the Seychelles.

Schiff's letter also noted that Mueller found that Prince told Dmitriev he would gauge the Trump campaign’s interest in continuing a conversation about opening a channel of communication between the United States and Russia. Prince testified that there was never a discussion about such a channel.

The Seychelles meeting was one of several points of contact between associates of the Trump campaign and Russians that Mueller probed during his inquiry into Russia's election interference. The special counsel ultimately declined to charge campaign staffers or any associates with coordinating with Moscow.