Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, released the following statement today in response to media reports that the Trump White House had been warned by the Justice Department that National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s erroneous and misleading statements regarding his pre-inaugural communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak could make him vulnerable to blackmail attempts by entities allied with the Russian Federation:

“I call upon the President to relieve National Security Advisor Michael Flynn of his duties immediately and replace him with someone who is viewed as an honest broker and commands the trust and confidence of the President, the national security, diplomatic, and intelligence community, the Congress, and the American people. In view of the recent disclosures reported in the media, Gen. Flynn appears to be severely compromised in this regard. Given the current international world situation, the President and the nation would be better served if the President immediately removes and replaces his current National Security Advisor.”

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas’s 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is a Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations.