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Jeff Sessions recuses himself from Russia inquiry amid calls for resignation Jeff Sessions recuses himself from Russia inquiry amid calls for resignation
(about 2 hours later)
Jeff Sessions announced that he would recuse himself from investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, after a day of drama surrounding two undisclosed meetings he held with the Russian ambassador last year. Jeff Sessions announced that he would recuse himself from investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, after a day of drama surrounding two undisclosed meetings he held with the Russian ambassador last year – and despite the support of Donald Trump, who called the questions surrounding his attorney general “a total witch hunt”.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday amid mounting calls for his resignation, the attorney general said he made the decision after meeting with senior department officials. He said he would not participate in any investigations “related in any way to the campaign for president of the United States”. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday amid mounting calls for his resignation, Sessions said he had made the decision after meeting with senior department officials. He said he would not participate in any investigations “related in any way to the campaign for president of the United States”.
He insisted that he had not misled senators during his confirmation hearing and claimed it was “totally false” to suggest he had met with “Russian operatives” to discuss the Donald Trump’s election campaign. He insisted that he had not misled senators during his confirmation hearing and claimed it was “totally false” to suggest he had met with “Russian operatives” to discuss Trump’s election campaign.
“I have now decided to recuse myself,” he said, adding: “I should not be involved in investigating a campaign I had a role in.”“I have now decided to recuse myself,” he said, adding: “I should not be involved in investigating a campaign I had a role in.”
The announcement came as Sessions faced growing pressure from both Republicans and Democrats, amid claims that he “lied under oath” after it was revealed that he twice spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, during the presidential campaign last year, in apparent contradiction to his testimony to Congress. The conversations between Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump and a vocal surrogate for the president during the 2016 campaign, occurred amid alleged Russian meddling in the US election to undermine faith in the American electoral process and help elect Trump.The announcement came as Sessions faced growing pressure from both Republicans and Democrats, amid claims that he “lied under oath” after it was revealed that he twice spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, during the presidential campaign last year, in apparent contradiction to his testimony to Congress. The conversations between Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump and a vocal surrogate for the president during the 2016 campaign, occurred amid alleged Russian meddling in the US election to undermine faith in the American electoral process and help elect Trump.
Trump, touring the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford in Newport News, Virginia, said he had “total” confidence in Sessions and said his attorney general should not recuse himself from the FBI Russia investigation. Earlier, Trump, touring the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford in Newport News, Virginia, said he had “total” confidence in Sessions and said his attorney general should not recuse himself from the FBI Russia investigation.
Asked if he knew Sessions spoke to the Russian ambassador, Trump told reporters: “I wasn’t aware at all.” But the president said he believed his attorney general had testified truthfully before the Senate during his confirmation hearing. In a later statement, the president called Sessions “an honest man”, adding: “He did not say anything wrong. He could have stated his response more accurately, but it was clearly not intentional.”
Republicans applauded the decision while Democrats were not assuaged and continued to demand Sessions’s resignation. The statement went on: “The Democrats are overplaying their hand. They lost the election and now they have lost their grip on reality. The real story is all of the illegal leaks of classified and other information. It is a total witch hunt!”
“Recusal is not good enough,” said Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions must resign now, and a special prosecutor must be appointed immediately.” Democrats have continued to demand Sessions’s resignation. “Recusal is not good enough,” said Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions must resign now, and a special prosecutor must be appointed immediately.”
Earlier on Thursday, the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, told reporters: “It would be better for the country if he resigned,” while Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House minority leader went further, insisting Sessions “lied under oath during his confirmation hearing before the Senate” in January. “Perjury is a crime and there are consequences to it,” she said. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House minority leader, also demanded Sessions leave his post, saying his “narrow recusal and his sorry attempt to explain away his perjury are totally inadequate. He is clearly trying to maintain his ability to control the larger investigation into the sprawling personal, political and financial grip Russia has on the Trump administration.”
While the senior Democrats spoke of resignation and possible perjury charges, Republicans were also beginning to break ranks – stopping short of resignation calls but agreeing that Sessions must step back and recuse himself from any involvement in the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election. While senior Democrats spoke of resignation and possible perjury charges, some Republicans were also beginning to break ranks.
“Great decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any potential investigation involving 2016 campaign,” Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, said on Twitter after the press conference. “It’s the best decision for the country and DOJ. I have full confidence in Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General.”“Great decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any potential investigation involving 2016 campaign,” Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, said on Twitter after the press conference. “It’s the best decision for the country and DOJ. I have full confidence in Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General.”
Earlier on Thursday, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, resisted calls from within his own Republican party and said he did not see “any purpose or reason” for Sessions to recuse himself from an investigation unless the attorney general became the subject of the inquiry. Earlier on Thursday, the House speaker, Paul Ryan, had resisted calls from within his own Republican party and said he did not see “any purpose or reason” for Sessions to recuse himself from an investigation unless the attorney general became the subject of the inquiry.
The furore over the latest connections between the Trump administration and Russia immediately plunged the administration back into crisis mode after 24 hours of favorable US media coverage for the president’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday night. Sessions has now confirmed he met with the Russian ambassador on two occasions. The first time was at the Republican national convention in July, when Trump formally accepted the party’s nomination. There Sessions delivered a speech at an event for ambassadors sponsored by the Heritage Foundation.
Sessions has now confirmed that met with the Russian ambassador on two occasions. The first time was at the Republican national convention in July, when Trump formally accepted the party’s nomination. There Sessions delivered a speech at an event for ambassadors sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. The second occasion was in the senator’s office on 8 September, exactly two months before the presidential election and amid accusations of a Russian cyber-attack. Sessions said Kislyak had requested the meeting and the senator’s staff made the arrangements. Sessions said they discussed his first trip to Russia in 1993, their religious convictions, terrorism and Ukraine, but said he did not recall “any specific political discussions”.
The second occasion was in the senator’s office on 8 September, exactly one month before the presidential election and amid accusations of a Russian cyber-attack. Sessions said Kislyak had requested the meeting and the senator’s staff made the arrangements. During the meeting, Sessions said they discussed his first trip to Russia in 1993, their religious convictions, terrorism and Ukraine, but he said that he did not recall “any specific political discussions”.
A spokeswoman for Sessions had earlier confirmed that the meetings took place, but provided a statement from the attorney general saying they were not related to the election campaign and insisted there was “nothing misleading” about his answer to Congress.
At Sessions’s judiciary committee hearing on 10 January, he was asked by the Minnesota Democratic senator Al Franken what he would do if it were discovered that an official associated with the Trump campaign had communicated with the Russian government in the course of the 2016 election cycle.At Sessions’s judiciary committee hearing on 10 January, he was asked by the Minnesota Democratic senator Al Franken what he would do if it were discovered that an official associated with the Trump campaign had communicated with the Russian government in the course of the 2016 election cycle.
“I’m not aware of any of those activities,” Sessions replied. “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”“I’m not aware of any of those activities,” Sessions replied. “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”
On Thursday, Franken called that remark “at best, extremely misleading” and said Sessions should clarify his remarks under oath to the judiciary committee.On Thursday, Franken called that remark “at best, extremely misleading” and said Sessions should clarify his remarks under oath to the judiciary committee.
During the press conference, Sessions said he was “taken aback” by Franken’s line of questioning. “In retrospect, I should have slowed down and said, but I did meet one Russian official a couple of times, that would be the Russian ambassador,” Sessions said. During the press conference, Sessions said he was “taken aback” by Franken’s line of questioning. “In retrospect, I should have slowed down and said, but I did meet one Russian official a couple of times, that would be the Russian ambassador.”
The FBI is conducting an investigation into Russia’s interference in the US election, and any alleged links between associates of Trump and the Russian government. The House and Senate intelligence committees are each conducting separate inquiries into the matter.The FBI is conducting an investigation into Russia’s interference in the US election, and any alleged links between associates of Trump and the Russian government. The House and Senate intelligence committees are each conducting separate inquiries into the matter.
Ali Soufan, a retired FBI counter-terrorism special agent, said it was a “no-brainer” for Sessions to recuse himself from any FBI investigation of Trump’s associates and Russia. Recusals for attorney generals over conflicts of interest with FBI investigations have long precedents. In 2013, Barack Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, recused himself from an FBI investigation into leaks, after he himself was interviewed for it the previous year. George W Bush’s attorney general, Michael Mukasey, recused himself from a 2008 investigation into crooked financier Bernie Madoff because his son represented a Madoff associate.
“Recusing himself is a must here. He comes up in this investigation, according to all the reporting in the press, and we have to conduct an independent and transparent investigation. If he is in any shape or form involved in this, the Trump team’s contacts with Russia, he definitely cannot lead the investigation,” Soufan said. The House intelligence committee chairman, Devin Nunes, a Republican from California, said there was no reason yet for Sessions to step aside as attorney general. But speaking alongside Nunes, Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, said the FBI had not divulged crucial pieces of information about its inquiry.
In the event of a recusal, Sessions “won’t be in the chain of command” to the FBI on a Russia inquiry, nor will his aides “directly or indirectly”, Soufan said.
Keith Ellison, the new deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, himself a criminal defense lawyer, said: “Since it has now come to light that Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath about meeting with Russian officials during the campaign, we must be entirely clear on one thing: perjury is a felony and may be punishable by prison for up to five years.”
Recusals for attorney generals over conflicts of interest with FBI investigations have long precedents. Barack Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, in 2013 recused himself from an FBI investigation into leaks, after he himself was interviewed for it the previous year. George W Bush’s attorney general, Michael Mukasey, recused himself from a 2008 investigation into crooked financier Bernie Madoff because his son represented a Madoff associate.
Both the FBI and justice department possess deep institutional muscle memory for how attorney generals ought to separate themselves from investigations that pose conflicts, Soufan said.
The House intelligence committee chairman, Devin Nunes, a Republican from California, said there was no reason yet for Sessions to step aside. But speaking alongside Nunes, Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, said the FBI had not divulged crucial pieces of information about its inquiry.
“I would say at this point we know less than a fraction of what the FBI knows,” Schiff told reporters after a committee briefing with the FBI director, James Comey.“I would say at this point we know less than a fraction of what the FBI knows,” Schiff told reporters after a committee briefing with the FBI director, James Comey.
“I appreciate [that] we had had a long briefing and testimony from the director today, but in order for us to do our investigation in a thorough and credible way, we’re going to need the FBI to fully cooperate, to be willing to tell us the length and breadth of any counterintelligence investigations they are conducting,” he continued. “At this point, the director was not willing to do that.”“I appreciate [that] we had had a long briefing and testimony from the director today, but in order for us to do our investigation in a thorough and credible way, we’re going to need the FBI to fully cooperate, to be willing to tell us the length and breadth of any counterintelligence investigations they are conducting,” he continued. “At this point, the director was not willing to do that.”
Activists protested outside the justice department on Thursday afternoon, chanting “lock him up”, a twist on the chants that rang out at Trump rallies across the country during the campaign about his opponent, Hillary Clinton.Activists protested outside the justice department on Thursday afternoon, chanting “lock him up”, a twist on the chants that rang out at Trump rallies across the country during the campaign about his opponent, Hillary Clinton.