Sessions denies any collusion with Russian Federation in senate hearing

Sean Spicer
White House press secretary Sean Spicer arrives for the daily briefing at the White House in Washington Monday
Author

14 June, 2017

Attorney General Jeff Sessions faced a wide range of questions during his Senate hearing - including about his taste in entertainment. He also provided resistance that may offer a boost to a crisis-weary White House that has been unable to shrug off the dark cloud over the Russian Federation investigation.

Sessions on Saturday said he would appear before the intelligence committee, which has been doing its own investigation into Russian contacts with the Trump campaign.

"I took it as a concern that he might be asked something that was improper", Sessions said, adding that he told Comey to follow Justice Department policy regarding interactions with White House officials.

Jeff Sessions vowed to defend his honour "against scurrilous and false allegations".

Sessions responded that he had confidence in Mueller.

When asked by Sen.

When asked about what the basis was for his refusal to answer certain questions, Sessions said: "I am protecting the right of the president to assert it if he chooses and there may be other protections that apply".

Trump watched Sessions testify aboard Air Force One during about 90-minute flight to Milwaukee, an aide told CNN.

The exchange became more heated, with Sessions later telling Wyden: "I am not stonewalling".

Sessions' responses triggered an explosion by Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, told the witness.

"It's unacceptable that Sessions - the top law enforcement official in the country - can not name his legal basis for evading questions", Harris, a former Attorney General of California, said on Twitter.

SESSIONS: No - yes, I do.

He says he is confident that Comey understood and would abide by the Justice Departments rules on communications with the White House about ongoing investigations. "It didn't seem to me to be a major problem", Sessions said.

Other Democrats also lost their patience with Sessions. That could include answering questions and cooperating with investigations or subpoenas regarding certain information.

After Tuesday's hearing, Sen.

Democratic senators have seized on the possibility of a third meeting to suggest that Sessions has not been forthcoming about the extent of his communications with the ambassador. "I'm not sure what was in his mind specifically".

"Some of it's very compelling, and some of its import is unclear to me", said Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier, according to The New York Times.

Wyden: The question is Mr. Comey said that there were matters with respect to the recusal that were problematic, and he couldn't talk about them.

"A very simple question that should be asked is did Donald Trump or any of his associates in the campaign collude with Russian Federation in hacking those e-mails and releasing them to the public?" the Arkansas Republican said during Sessions' hearing before the panel.

Comey told the Senate panel last week that he had been made uncomfortable by the tone of Trump's remarks in the February 14 meeting in the Oval Office.

But he refused to discuss the reports "because I know nothing about the investigation".

But Sessions says Comey should have relayed his concerns to Dana Boente, who was then acting as deputy attorney general and Comey's direct supervisor.

He defended his boss on the Comey controversy, not surprisingly, saying there was "nothing wrong" with a president having a communication with the Federal Bureau of Investigation director.

"I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States".

Sessions said it would be "inappropriate" for him to reveal private conversations with Trump when the president "has not had a full opportunity to review the questions and to make a decision on whether or not to approve such an answer".

"The suggestion that I participated in any collusion.is an appalling and detestable lie", Sessions said.


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