Washington: A former campaign advisor to US president Donald Trump has been asked to testify before the House Intelligence Committee over accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential elections, the media reported on Sunday.
On Saturday, Michael Caputo, a campaign aide to Trump for much of the presidential primary, was asked to submit to a voluntary interview with the committee and provide any documents requested, The Guardian reported.
Caputo, who has close links with Roger Stone, Trump's long-time and highly controversial political advisor, worked in Russia in the 1990s.
Democratic congresswoman Jackie Speier had previously mentioned Caputo's name in a March hearing before the committee.
Caputo worked for Trump's campaign from November 2015 to June 2016 when he resigned after publicly gloating over the firing of former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
In the immediate aftermath of Lewandowski's termination, he tweeted: "Ding dong the witch is dead".
Ding dong the witch is dead! https://t.co/pSqQwmAGz1 pic.twitter.com/5dE7GMeEK6
— That Michael Caputo (@MichaelRCaputo) June 20, 2016
Hours later, Caputo stepped down while expressing his regret for "too exuberant a reaction to this personnel move".
The request comes as Trump is facing increased scrutiny over allegations about his campaign's ties with Russia, reports the Guardian.
Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert Mueller has been appointed as a special counsel this week to investigate Trump's campaign.
File photo of Michael Caputo taken from Twitter.
This comes just after James Comey agreed to testify before a Congressional committee in an open session about alleged Russian interference in the US presidential elections in 2016.
A date of this open hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day (29 May), the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said on Friday.
"The Committee looks forward to receiving testimony from the former (FBI) director on his role in the development of the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 US elections," senator Richard Burr, chairman of the Committee, said.
Comey's abrupt sacking by President Donald Trump triggered a political firestorm with an angry opposition calling for an appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the alleged Russian influence in the 2016 general elections.
With inputs from agencies
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Updated Date: May 21, 2017 12:15:49 IST
