1ST LEAD Fired Trump aide Flynn wants to testify in Russia investigation By dpa correspondents

Washington (dpa) - Michael Flynn, Donald Trump‘s former national security advisor, wants to appear at congressional hearings into alleged ties between the president‘s campaign and Russia, his attorney said Thursday.Attorney Robert Kelner said in a statement Flynn "has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit."According to a Wall Street Journal report, Flynn has offered to testify in exchange for immunity from prosecution."No reasonable person, who has the benefit of advice from counsel, would submit to questioning in such a highly politicized, witch hunt environment without assurances against unfair prosecution," Kelner said, without addressing the report directly.Flynn, who resigned last month after giving misleading accounts of his potentially illegal calls with Russian officials before Trump‘s administration took office, made the offer to the FBI and the House and Senate intelligence committees through his lawyer, the Journal reported.The intelligence agency and the Committees are currently investigating Russian government interference in the US election and any links or cooperation between the Trump campaign team and Moscow.Prior to becoming national security advisor, Flynn reportedly discussed lifting sanctions on Moscow with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on December 29, the same day that then-president Barack Obama announced them over Russian interference in the US presidential campaign.It is illegal in the US for a private citizen, as Flynn was at the time, to engage in diplomacy with foreign officials.The Senate Intelligence Committee held an open hearing on Russian interference in the election earlier on Thursday, at which Rebublican Senator Marco Rubio said he was the subject of ongoing hacking attacks apparently coming from Russia.The remarks confirmed intelligence agency statements that both Democrats and Republicans were subject to attacks during the election, even as they concluded Russian hackers had sought to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in favour of Trump.