Questions, answers about the legal immunity process

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for former national security adviser Michael Flynn says he's in talks with congressional committees to testify before them in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Trump's attorney, Robert Kelner, said Thursday night that "no reasonable person" would agree to be questioned "in such a highly politicized, witch hunt environment without assurances against unfair prosecution."

Congress is empowered to give immunity to witnesses who might otherwise be inclined to avoid a committee hearing, protecting them from having their statements later used against them in a criminal prosecution.

Plenty of high-profile witnesses have requested immunity for congressional testimony, from high-ranking federal government officials to professional baseball stars, though not everyone has received it.

Not at all.

Since witnesses are under no obligation to speak with the FBI, it's fairly standard for them — through their lawyers — to demand immunity as an unwavering condition for any kind of conversation they agree to have.

Seasoned lawyers often see no benefit to cooperating with the government without such an agreement, especially since it's impossible to predict with certainty how the interview will go, what sort of statements or activities investigators will home in on, or whether any vaguely worded questions will trip up their client or prompt an unexpected answer or one unfavorable to their own interests.

A congressional committee, he added, has to balance the need to not interfere with a criminal investigation with its own interest in putting information out to the American public.