EXCLUSIVE– Marco Rubio: Senate Intelligence Committee Will Look at Leaked Flynn Call

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said on Tuesday the Senate Intelligence Committee would look into who wiretapped and leaked former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s conversation with a Russian ambassador.

“The Senate Select Intelligence Committee is conducting an investigation into Russia’s role in our elections and its aftermath. And I imagine this among other topics will be in the purview of that,” he told Breitbart News.

Rubio, a member of the committee, also said he was concerned that intelligence was being leaked to the press, rather than given to committees that have oversight over the intelligence agencies.

“I am concerned that people within the U.S. government, intelligence agencies and law enforcement, are providing more information to the press than they are to the committees that have oversight over their activities,” he said.

“I also think it’s problematic that you have individuals — whether it’s within the White House or within different agencies — who appear to be putting out information to the press that seem to be driven potentially by some sort of agenda, so it is concerning,” he added.

His remarks came a day before a scheduled dinner meeting with President Trump.

Rubio, a Russia critic, also said he would like to know what Flynn discussed with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

“It’s important for the president to trust the people who are around him. By the same token it’s important for us to know the truth about these things,” he said. “We’ll be guided by the truth. I have confidence in the Senate Intelligence Committee’s work.”

Rubio told The Hill on Tuesday, unlike other colleagues on the committee, he wants to see more evidence before bringing Flynn before Congress.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), another intelligence committee member, also said Tuesday they would look at the leaks as part of the committee’s investigation into “Russian involvement generally.”

According to news reports, Flynn and Kislyak had a series of phone calls in December around the same time former President Obama had sanctioned Russia for its involvement in the U.S. elections.

Flynn had denied talking to Kislyak about the sanctions to other senior Trump officials, including Vice President Michael Pence, who then repeated that claim in an interview with CBS.

After a Washington Post report on Feb. 9 cited nine current and former U.S. officials who said there was evidence Flynn did discuss the sanctions, Flynn said he might have talked about the sanctions but had forgotten. After days of calls for his resignation by vocal critics and Democrats, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the president’s confidence in Flynn had “eroded.”