--- title: Michael Flynn: Read Attorney Letter on Pleading the 5th description: Michael Flynn's attorneys wrote a letter to the Senate Committee explaining their clients reasons for invoking the Fifth Amendment canonical: https://time.com/4789309/michael-flynn-subpeona-fifth-amendment-letter-read/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-22T20:15:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:03:39.281Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read Michael Flynn's Lawyers' Letter Invoking the Fifth Amendment og:description: He's refusing to turn over documents after a Senate subpoena og:url: https://time.com/4789309/michael-flynn-subpeona-fifth-amendment-letter-read/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91e5245eda42b2b1/6988ce5e656a3f3ff5bd01c0/gettyimages-635157390.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3267 og:image:height: 1838 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-FLYNN og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read Michael Flynn's Lawyers' Letter Invoking the Fifth Amendment twitter:description: He's refusing to turn over documents after a Senate subpoena twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91e5245eda42b2b1/6988ce5e656a3f3ff5bd01c0/gettyimages-635157390.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read Michael Flynn's Lawyers' Letter Invoking the Fifth Amendment Over Senate Subpoena > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=92ffc896-498e-425b-acca-03771f51af2c&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: In His Words: President Trump on Women [Watch (HLS stream): In His Words: President Trump on Women](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GesjGh42.m3u8) (1:47)  _Published 2017-05-22. A look back at some of Donald Trump's comments on women._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan May 22, 2017 8:15 PM UTC A look back at some of Donald Trump's comments on women. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan May 22, 2017 8:15 PM UTC Attorneys for former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who was fired after he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his communications with Russia’s ambassador, sent a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday outlining his decision to [invoke the Fifth Amendment](http://time.com/4788100/michael-flynn-fifth-amendment-subpoena/?xid=homepage) in response to their subpoena. Flynn’s attorneys wrote that by producing documents related to possible meetings with Russian officials Flynn would, in essence, be admitting that such meetings took place. “The context in which the Committee has called for General Flynn’s testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him.” Read the full letter below. ## Transcript [00:00] Her staffers taking the Fifth Amendment, think of this. Over [00:03] and over. And her [00:07] ring leaders getting immunity deals. Okay. Five [00:12] people. Including the guy that put in the [00:17] illegal server, right? I want the Fifth Amendment. [00:22] I want immunity. The reason they get immunity is because [00:25] they did something wrong. If they didn't do anything wrong, [00:27] they don't think in terms of immunity. Five people. Folks, I'm [00:32] telling you, nobody's ever seen anything like this in this [00:35] country's history. Her staffers took the Fifth, you remember [00:39] that? So many people took the Fifth Amendment, there was [00:42] nobody left. They all got immunity deals. They [00:47] all got immunity, I mean, what does she have, five! There [00:52] was nobody else they could go after. They all had [00:55] immunity. They shouldn't have wasted their time if they're [00:58] going to give them immunity. What are you wasting your [01:00] time for? [ SOUND ] It's worse than Watergate. 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