Sessions denies third meeting with Russian Federation envoy

The Attorney General's appearance before the Senate comes a week after explosive testimony from former Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey, in which accused President Trump of lying to the u.s. public.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions came out swinging at a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday, defending himself against several Democratic attacks and allegations he says "will not intimidate" him.

The former Republican U.S. senator from Alabama, one of Trump's most avid supporters on the campaign trail, will likely have to explain why he told lawmakers in January he had no dealings with Kremlin officials a year ago.

"That was the context in which I was asked the question, and in that context, my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it".

And he can expect questions about his involvement in Comey's May 9 firing, the circumstances surrounding his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation, and whether any of his actions - such as interviewing candidates for the FBI director position or meeting with Trump about Comey - violated his recusal pledge. But his former Democratic colleagues pressed him repeatedly on his contacts with Russian Federation and his role in the dismissal of Comey - who led the FBI's probe on Russian Federation until he was ousted.

While he had recused himself from the Russian Federation probe, Sessions said, "I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations".

Sessions was sworn in February 9 but did not actually step away from the investigation until March 2, the day after The Washington Post reported on his two previously undisclosed Kislyak meetings.

"I did not have any private meetings nor recall any private conversations with any Russian official at the Mayflower Hotel", Sessions told the Senate intelligence committee.

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

But Sessions has not addressed this issue directly, nor broader questions about his relationship with Comey.

"If I don't qualify (my answers) you'll accuse me of lying", Sessions said to Harris. There are none, Sen. "There are none, Sen Wyden, there are none", Mr Sessions insisted, his voice rising.

"I'm not going to follow any orders unless I believe those are proper and appropriate orders", he said.

Sessions also argued that his recusal from the Russian Federation investigation did not mean that he should be barred from his oversight duties over the FBI, following claims by Democrats that he should have not played a role in Comey's firing. "Cotton", he said. "It's just like 'Through the Looking Glass.' I mean, what is this?"

Rosenstein testified that he was the only person who has the authority to fire Mueller and he said he would agree to dismiss Mueller only if there were a legitimate basis to do so.

"I can not and will not violate my duty to protect the confidential communications I have with the president", he said. Comey said Sessions said nothing, and that his body language indicated that there was nothing he could do about it.

Sessions recommended the firing last month, raising questions about whether he violated his recusal from the investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russian Federation. "I'm not sure what was in his mind specifically". So far, the White house has not asserted executive privilege, but Sessions said he wanted to preserve Trump's right to do so in the future. Sessions said he did not mislead Congress because the encounters were part of his job as a United States senator, not as a Trump campaign representative. Harris asked of Sessions' assertion that he wouldn't discuss private conversations with the president.

"I don't know Sen. Rubio, probably so", Sessions replied.

He also said Comey should have shared his concerns about the Trump conversation with another Justice Department official, Dana Boente, who was then acting deputy attorney general, and would have been Comey's direct supervisor.

Wyden, attempting to move on, suggested that Sessions was blaming Comey for engaging in "innuendo" - prompting Sessions to again respond.

During a highly-anticipated Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, the New Mexico Democrat confronted Sessions about his refusal to reveal non-classified conversations with the president after Sessions dodged a question about whether Trump expressed dissatisfaction over Sessions' recusal from the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.