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Attorney General Sessions responds to Comey hearing, testifies in Russia probe (WATCH LIVE) Attorney General Sessions responds to Comey hearing, testifies in Russia probe (WATCH LIVE)
(35 minutes later)
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify about his possible role in the firing of FBI Director, James Comey and the investigation in contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia, and his own contacts.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW Senator Richard Burr (R, North Carolina) chair of the committee framed the hearing as giving Sessions an opportunity to “separate fact from fiction.”
Attorney General Sessions said it was critically important to investigate allegations of Russian interference during the election because such interference “can never be tolerated” and he encouraged the committee to get to the bottom of the matter.
He said he had no meeting with the Russians at the Mayflower Hotel but did attend a reception with staff of at least two dozen people including President Trump and had conversations during the pre-speech reception but doesn’t remember talking to any Russians.
“Any suggestions I was aware of any collusion or to undermine integrity of the democratic process in an appalling and detestable lie,” said Sessions.
It has been revealed that Sessions before he was selected for Attorney General had two meetings with Russian Ambassador Kislyak and other foreign ambassadors, and he acknowledged those two meetings and but nothing happened that was inappropriate.Committee members were interested to know how Sessions why he recused himself from the Russian investigation.
Sessions said a Department of Justice regulation, 28 CFR 45.2, states that “no employee participating in a criminal prosecution with a personal relationship…with a political campaign, closely identified with a candidate or an elected official…” must recuse himself.
Sessions said he met with career department officials, including senior ethics officials about what reported in press about his recusal. He said from that point in February until the formal recusal, he did not access any details, received only limited info that career officials determined was necessary for him to make a decision.
“I don’t even read that carefully, and took no action whatsoever in regard to that investigation,” said Sessions.