The inspector general of the Department of Defense has opened an investigation into whether former national security adviser Michael Flynn reported money he received for a speaking appearance in Russia.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D-Maryland), released three documents Thursday that confirmed the investigation, ABC News is reporting.
One of the letters Cummings, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, released was a letter from the Defense Intelligence Agency stating that they found no record that Flynn had sought permission to speak in Russia, nor had he reported income from that speech.
A U.S. official, which Flynn as a retired military officer would be considered, must, by law, both seek permission and report income derived from any activity with a foreign government.
Flynn once headed the DIA.
CNN is reporting that Flynn also received a warning from the DIA in 2014 against receiving payments from foreign governments without congressional approval
Flynn is alleged to have taken $45,000 for speaking at an engagement in Russia in 2015.
“These documents raise grave questions about why General Flynn concealed the payments he received from foreign sources after he was warned explicitly by the Pentagon,” Cummings said in a statement. “Our next step is to get the documents we are seeking from the White House so we can complete our investigation. I thank the Department of Defense for providing us with unclassified versions of these documents.”
Cummings released the documents Thursday, two days after he and House Oversight chairman Jason Chaffetz held a press conference to say they believe Flynn broke the law when he failed to get permission for the speech in Russia.
Flynn's lawyer, Robert Kelner, has said that Flynn did discuss his speech with officials at the DIA. Cummings said no proof of that has been found.
Flynn resigned as national security adviser in February after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about a meeting he had with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States.
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