Flynn Associates Subpoenaed in FBI’s Russia Investigation

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (CN) – Amid the fallout of President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas seeking the business records of known associates of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Looking for business records relevant to the ongoing investigation of Russian meddling in last year's election, the subpoenas could be an indication of escalating activity in the FBI's search into possible Trump campaign associate ties with the Kremlin.

The subpoenas were issued by U.S. Attorney Dana Boente in the last several weeks from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alexandria, Va. The developments were first reported by CNN.

The people who received the subpoenas are known to have worked with Flynn on various contracts after he was ousted from the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. Flynn once served as director of the agency.

Boente was only recently appointed as acting assistant attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department’s national security division, which is responsible for oversight into the FBI's Russia investigation.

Robert Kelner, Flynn's attorney, did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

News of the subpoenas came amid other shockwaves rocking Washington this week, namely the firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday night.

As details unfolded on Wednesday, anonymous sources claimed Comey sought additional funds and resources for the agency's investigation into Russia's meddling. The sources also reportedly said Comey disclosed his request both to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and to Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who wrote a memo that served as the basis for Comey’s firing.

Comey has been invited to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee next Tuesday but he has not yet confirmed if he will attend. The hearing is likely to be classified.

Trump did not say Wednesday who Comey’s replacement would be or if they would lead the ongoing Russian investigation, but the president said on Twitter that he will find a new director “who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.”

The former FBI director confirmed last week that inquiries into Flynn were a piece of the larger investigation. CNN reported on Tuesday night that investigators were exploring possible wrongdoing in Flynn's disclosure of client payments tied to foreign governments including Turkey and Russia.

Flynn resigned in February. It was eventually discovered that he failed to disclose the nature of his communications with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to Washington.

Investigators have also reported that Flynn may have broken the law when he omitted a $45,000 paid appearance fee he collected for a television stint in Moscow promoting Russia Today, a Russian government-funded news outlet.

Kelner has previously defended Flynn, saying that his client is not hiding anything and that, in fact, he briefed the Defense Intelligence Agency both before and after his trip to Russia.

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