Republicans Want Probe Of Flynn-Russia Links

By Andah John

Frontline members of the Republican Party in the United States have joined calls for a comprehensive probe into the former national security adviser’s links with Russia.

Michael Flynn stepped down on Monday following claims he related US sanctions with Russia prior to when Donald Trump took office.

And 24 hours later, a White House spokesman was reported to have said Trump was aware, weeks ago, there were problems with the Russia phone calls.

But media reports say calls for an independent investigation have encountered a cold reaction from some senior Republicans.

This followed a report by the New York Times that phone records and intercepted calls show members of  Trump’s presidential campaign, as well as other Trump associates, “had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election.”

But officials said to have been spoken to by the newspaper said they had not yet seen evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia on the hacking of the Democratic National Committee or to influence the election, the BBC reports.