Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today that he is recusing himself from any ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. On Wednesday night it was reported that Mr. Sessions had two meetings with the Russian ambassador while supporting Donald Trump's campaign. Unfortunately, he chose not to reveal those findings during his confirmation hearing.
Sessions denies meeting with Russian officials about the Trump Campaign
Jeff Sessions told reporters that he never met with Russian operatives or Russian officials about the Trump campaign.
He also said the idea that he met with Russian officials as an exchange of continuing information between Trump surrogates is absolutely false. The attorney general mentioned having concluded meetings with senior department officials over whether he should recuse himself from an existing and future investigations into anything related to the campaign for President of the United States. Sessions announced during the press conference that his response to Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, was honest and correct as he understood it at the time of the confirmation hearing was held.
Details behind the 2 contacts with the Russian ambassador
A Department of Justice official reported Wednesday night that had two contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
One was a meeting with one of the members of Jeff Sessions' staff. The other was after giving a speech to the Heritage Foundation in July. When Mr. Sessions was asked Thursday what the content of the meetings were Jeff replied that he didn't remember any details pertaining to any political discussions. The Department of Justice official also disclosed that during the 2016 election campaign that ambassadors would make general comments about the election but that it wasn't the main focus of their conversations.
In February 2016, Sessions was the first senator to endorse President Trump. The following month, he became the chair of President Trump's then National Security Advisory Committee.
Contradictory statements made by D.O.J. spokeswoman, President Trump and Sessions
On Wednesday night, a D.O.J. spokeswoman stated the meetings were apart of Sessions' time as senator while serving on the Armed Services Committee and that his answers during his confirmation hearing weren't deceiving.
In January, during Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing to become Attorney General, he said he didn't have any communications with the Russians. Sessions ended the press conference by repeating that he never spoke to any Russians about any political campaign and dismissed those allegations as unbelievable to him and ultimately false. He also told reporters that his conversations with Russians over the Ukraine issue wasn't relevant to any pertinent investigation. President Trump said he didn't know that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador and that he believed Sessions was probably being truthful during his confirmation hearing. President Trump added that Sessions shouldn't recuse himself from any investigation pertaining to his campaign.
Democrats call on Sessions to Resign
Top democrats are now calling for Sessions to resign over the growing controversy. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader from New York, called on Sessions to resign for the good of the country. Plus the House Democratic leader from California, Nanci Pelosi, affirmed that Jeff Sessions isn't fit to be the top law enforcement officer of America and should resign. White House officials downplayed the story as yet another attempt by Democrats to attack Trump's administration. Meanwhile Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee called on the F.B.I. and the Justice Department to hold a criminal investigation to determine whether crimes were committed such as committing perjury. It remains to be seen if any criminal investigation will go forward or if Sessions will succumb to political pressure to resign.
