This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39148943

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Democrats renew Jeff Sessions attack over Russia contacts Trump defends under-fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions
(about 1 hour later)
Democrats have stepped up their attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, saying his explanation regarding his contacts with the Russian ambassador in 2016 were "simply not credible". President Donald Trump has defended Attorney General Jeff Sessions as "an honest man" amid calls for him to quit.
Mr Sessions is under fire for having denied at his confirmation hearing that he had contact with Russian officials.
Mr Trump said Mr Sessions "could have stated his response more accurately but it was clearly not intentional" and accused Democrats of a "witch hunt".
However, Mr Sessions has recused himself from an FBI probe into alleged Russian meddling in the US election.
The Democrats have maintained their attacks on Mr Sessions, saying his explanation regarding his contacts with the Russian ambassador in 2016 were "simply not credible".
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insists Mr Sessions should step down.House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insists Mr Sessions should step down.
But President Donald Trump said he was "an honest man" and called the Democrat attacks "a total witch hunt". Mr Trump said the Democrats had "lost the election and now they have lost their grip on reality".
Mr Sessions earlier removed himself from an FBI inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election. His campaign was dogged by allegations that some of his team had met with Russian officials and that Moscow had interfered in the election on his behalf. The president has branded the allegations "fake news".
But he said he did not lie at January's confirmation hearing, when he said he had "no communications with the Russians". How did Mr Sessions come under fire?
He insisted his comments at his confirmation hearing were "honest and correct as I understood it at the time". It stems from his comments at his confirmation hearing in January.
Mr Sessions was speaking after it had emerged that he met Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak twice last year. He was asked: "If there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government, in the course of this campaign, what will you do?"
Mr Sessions was at the time a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. But he was already a prominent member of Donald Trump's campaign team.
In a separate development on Thursday, a White House official said Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn met Mr Kislyak in December - after the 8 November election.
The official was speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Mr Flynn was fired last month after he misled the White House about his conversations with the Moscow diplomat, allegedly regarding US sanctions.
Claims of Kremlin interference have dogged President Trump.
In a series of tweets on Thursday, President Donald Trump defended Mr Sessions.
He admitted Mr Sessions "could have stated his response more accurately" but said it was "clearly not intentional".
He said the Democrats were carrying out a witch hunt to try to save face for losing the election.
He added: "The real story is all of the illegal leaks of classified and other information."
'Sorry attempt'
Ms Pelosi on Thursday repeated her call for Mr Sessions to quit.
She said his "his narrow recusal and sorry attempt to explain away his perjury" were totally inadequate.
Meanwhile, Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said Mr Sessions "clearly misled" the Senate and his explanation "is simply not credible".
Top Republicans in the House and Senate - including Senators Rob Portman, Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham - earlier broke ranks to say Mr Sessions should recuse himself.
Crucially, though, senior Republicans have rallied behind him, and are also resisting demands for the appointment of an independent prosecutor, the BBC's North America correspondent Nick Bryant reports.
On Thursday, Mr Sessions categorically denied claims that he lied under oath at the confirmation hearing on 10 January about his contacts with Moscow.
During the January hearing Mr Sessions was asked: "If there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government, in the course of this campaign, what will you do?"
Mr Sessions responded: "I'm not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians. And I'm unable to comment on it."Mr Sessions responded: "I'm not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians. And I'm unable to comment on it."
However, it has emerged Mr Sessions and Mr Kislyak held a private conversation in Mr Sessions' office in September and spoke at a meeting with several other envoys, on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in July. However, it then emerged Mr Sessions and Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak held a private conversation in Mr Sessions' office in September and spoke at a meeting with several other envoys on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in July.
The former Alabama senator had meetings with more than 25 foreign ambassadors in the course of the year. Mr Sessions was at the time a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. But he was already a prominent member of Donald Trump's campaign team.
Mr Sessions said he had spoken with the Russian ambassador as a US senator and not as Mr Trump's surrogate. The former Alabama senator also had meetings with more than 25 foreign ambassadors in the course of the year.
What does Mr Sessions say now?
He insists he did not lie at the confirmation hearing, saying his comments were "honest and correct as I understood it at the time".
He said he had spoken with the Russian ambassador as a US senator and not as Mr Trump's "surrogate".
He said: "I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign."He said: "I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign."
Mr Sessions said during the meeting with Mr Kislyak they talked about terrorism and then "somehow the subject of Ukraine came up". Mr Sessions said that during his meeting with Mr Kislyak they talked about terrorism and then "somehow the subject of Ukraine came up".
He added: "I don't think what was said about that meeting I had with the Russian ambassador was legitimate. I think it was hyped beyond reason, and I think it was unfair."
However, he has taken himself off an FBI investigation into the alleged Russian interference in the election, saying it could be "perceived that I wouldn't be objective".
What has been the response?
The Democrats are not easing up.
Ms Pelosi repeated her call for Mr Sessions to quit. She said his "his narrow recusal and sorry attempt to explain away his perjury" were totally inadequate.
Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said Mr Sessions "clearly misled" the Senate and his explanation was "simply not credible".
Although some top Republicans in the House and Senate agreed Mr Sessions should recuse himself from the investigation, senior figures rallied behind him, resisting demands for the appointment of an independent prosecutor.
For Mr Sessions to be charged with perjury, prosecutors would have to show that he not only made false statements, but knowingly and wilfully misled members of the committee about an indisputable fact.For Mr Sessions to be charged with perjury, prosecutors would have to show that he not only made false statements, but knowingly and wilfully misled members of the committee about an indisputable fact.
The US intelligence community believes alleged Russian hacking of Democratic organisations in the election run-up was done to help Mr Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. Were there any other meetings with Russians?
Mr Trump has branded suggestions that he or associates on his campaign had contact with Russian intelligence as "fake news". Well, Michael Flynn has already been fired from the post of national security adviser after he misled the White House about his conversations with Mr Kislyak, allegedly regarding US sanctions.
It has emerged now that Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was with Mr Flynn when they met Mr Kislyak in December - after the 8 November election.
A White House official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed this on Thursday.
At the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, Mr Kislyak also met Carter Page, who briefly advised the Trump campaign, according to a source quoted by Associated Press.