Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Thursday called on former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to help the Senate Intelligence Committee "prove [his] innocence."
Manchin pressed Flynn to "come and work with us" to clear up the allegations that the former NSA had inappropriate and possibly illegal ties to Russia and Turkey.
MSNBC political analyst Nicolle Wallace brought up Sen. Marco Rubio's (R., Fla.) comments saying that the intelligence committee needed to "get to the bottom" of the investigation into ties between Flynn and foreign countries.
"I agree 1,000 percent, we need to get to the bottom," Manchin said.
Manchin then said he couldn't understand why some of the accused were resisting his and his colleagues' investigations.
"You know what I can't understand, Nicolle, is that we have people that if they're being accused—and these are horrible accusations," said Manchin. "They truly are. Paul Manafort has been turning over, and trying to prove his innocence and been cooperating. Mike Flynn has not."
"Why do you think that is?" Wallace asked.
Manchin didn't have an answer, but he did have a plea for Flynn.
"The only thing I can tell Mr. Flynn is: Mike, work with us," Manchin said.
"It's like extracting a tooth. It is painful, I know," he said, addressing Flynn. "It's something you don't want to do, I understand. But come and work with us. Help us prove your innocence."
"We'll decipher the facts, and we will come up to whatever conclusion we need to. But help us. Don't continue to drag this thing on," Manchin continued, before concluding with a warning.
"But, if you're trying to hide something because you know you did something wrong, you took money, you compromised the United States of America, we are not going to let that happen, we are not going to let people get by with that," he said.