Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a Senate committee Tuesday that any suggestion that he collaborated with Russia during last year’s U.S. presidential campaign was an “appalling and detestable lie”, NPR reports.
During his testimony which lasted more than two hours before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions defended himself and refused to discuss any details of conversations he had with President Donald Trump.
“I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign”, Sessions said in his opening statement.
At the beginning of March Sessions recused himself from the FBI investigation into Russia’s role in the election, saying he felt he was required to do so because he had a prominent role in Trump’s campaign.
“Many have suggested that my recusal is because I felt I was a subject of the investigation myself, that I may have done something wrong. The suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government, or hurt this country which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie” Sessions stressed.
The Attorney General’s testimony came just six days after James Comey, the former FBI director, appeared before the same committee. During the testimony Comey discussed a number of issues surrounding Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, and his remarks also raised questions that were directed at Sessions on Tuesday.
Sessions requested an open hearing, though he made clear in his opening remarks and several times during his testimony, that there were some things he would not discuss, including confidential conversations with the president.
“I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice” on private discussions with the White House”, Sessions added.
The Attorney General has acknowledged two meetings last year with Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, but he denied reports that he had a third, previously undisclosed meeting with Kislyak at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington in April 2016.
Sessions also testified about the Comey-Trump meetings and ex-FBI head’s comments that he did not want to be left alone with Trump. According to Comey, such private meetings between him and the President were inappropriate. Hence, Sessions confirmed Comey’s concern, but he played down the importance of it.
“I believe it was the next day that Comey said something, expressed concern, about being left alone with the president. But that in itself is not problematic. He did not, at that time, tell me any details about anything that was said that was improper. I affirmed his concern that we should be following the proper guidelines of the Department of Justice, and basically backed him up in his concerns”, Sessions said.
The Attorney General also added that he agreed with a letter drafted by his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, that Comey should be replaced, adding his own letter to that effect. Both documents were sent toTrump, who then fired the FBI director later on the same day, May 9. However, Sessions refused to say whether he ever spoke with Trump about firing Comey.
Be the first to comment