January 25, 2017, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) announced that it had been conducting an investigation into Russian 120 election interference and possible coordination with the political campaigns. And on February 2, 2017, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced that it too 121 would investigate Russian efforts to intervene in the election. 3. Flynn Makes False Statements About his Communications with Kislyak to Incoming Administration Officials, the Media, and the FBI On January 12, 2017, a Washington Post columnist reported that Flynn and Kislyak communicated on the day the Obama Administration announced the 122 Russia sanctions. The column questioned whether Flynn had said something to “undercut the U.S. sanctions” and whether Flynn’s communications had 123 violated the letter or spirit of the Logan Act. President-Elect Trump called Priebus after the story was published and 124 expressed anger about it. Priebus recalled that the President-Elect asked, 125 “What the hell is this all about?” Priebus called Flynn and told him that the President-Elect was angry about the reporting on Flynn’s conversations with 126 Kislyak. Flynn recalled that he felt a lot of pressure because Priebus had 127 spoken to the “boss” and said Flynn needed to “kill the story.” Flynn directed McFarland to call the Washington Post columnist and inform him that no 128 discussion of sanctions had occurred. McFarland recalled that Flynn said 129 words to the effect of, “I want to kill the story.” McFarland made the call as Flynn had requested although she knew she was providing false information, and the Washington Post updated the column to reflect that a “Trump official” had 130 denied that Flynn and Kislyak discussed sanctions. When Priebus and other incoming Administration officials questioned Flynn internally about the Washington Post column, Flynn maintained that he had not 131 discussed sanctions with Kislyak. Flynn repeated that claim to Vice 132 President-Elect Michael Pence and to incoming press secretary Sean Spicer. In subsequent media interviews in mid-January, Pence, Priebus, and Spicer denied that Flynn and Kislyak had discussed sanctions, basing those denials on