title:  BREAKING: Flynn Will Plead the Fifth, Refuse to Produce Documents
text: According to an Associated Press source, Michael Flynn is going to decline to honor the Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena and refuse to testify at Wednesday s hearing. Flynn was asked to appear before the committee, and to produce documents detailing all of his conversations with Russia. Instead, he will send a letter to the committee today informing them of his plans to refuse to testify.WASHINGTON (AP)   AP Source: Michael Flynn to decline Senate Intel committee subpoena, invoke 5th Amendment later today.  Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) May 22, 2017In addition to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Flynn is also the subject of a federal grand jury which has issued subpoenas to his close associates earlier this month.Even though Flynn will refuse to talk, the evidence against him is mounting. Flynn registered as an agent of a foreign country after his firing, which indicates that he s taken money from overseas in return for lobbying. Flynn was also caught lying about his connections with Russia to the Vice president, which apparently caused him to be fired after 18 days of deliberation.Documents showing communication with Russia, as well as Flynn s first-hand testimony of what happened behind the scenes, would be an enormous help to Senate investigation.Flynn will definitely be the first Trump pardon.  Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) May 16, 2017But it appears likely that Michael Flynn is prepared to keep his mouth shut in order to protect his former boss, Donald Trump. There is little downside for Flynn in any case. Under the law, he cannot be charged for refusing to testify against himself. The rules regarding Flynn s unwillingness to provide documentation that may incriminate him are similar, so he is unlikely to face additional prosecution. Like any decent criminal, Michael Flynn is clinging to the Fifth Amendment. No need to incriminate yourself. The evidence will do it for you  Aiden Wolfe (@AidenWolfe) May 22, 2017In April, Flynn s lawyers put the word out on Twitter that nothing would secure his cooperation except for full immunity. But that may not be necessary to build a case against the administration.Despite his persistent refusal to produce the requested documents or testify in his own defense, prosecutors reportedly feel pretty good about their chances of getting Flynn to open up. The federal grand jury probe is in the process of producing evidence that will make Flynn s testimony unnecessary. Trump 2016: Pleading the Fifth Amendment makes you look guilty.Flynn 2017: I plead the 5th  Vinay A. Ramesh (@vinaytion) May 22, 2017Off the record, investigators think that they can get Flynn to crack and tell everything he knows once he s faced with evidence of his wrongdoing. Photo by Win McNamee via Getty Images.