US Attorney General Jeff Sessions quits Russia probe

[webfact]

Trump's attorney general, under fire, removes himself from campaign probes

By Julia Edwards Ainsley and Richard Cowan

REUTERS
 

U.S Attorney General Jeff Sessions arrives to attend an a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump at a joint session of congress in Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2017. Picture taken February 28, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions removed himself on Thursday from any investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election because he was involved with President Donald Trump's campaign.

 

But Sessions, a long-time U.S. senator before becoming the country's top law enforcement official, said he did nothing wrong by not disclosing during Senate testimony that he had met last year with Russia's ambassador. He said the meetings were in his capacity as senator, not as a campaign aide.

 

"I have recused myself in the matters that deal with the Trump campaign," Sessions told reporters at a hastily arranged news conference. Several fellow Republicans in Congress had called for the move, while Democrats urged him to resign.

 

Sessions said he had been weighing recusal - ruling himself out from any role in the investigations - even before the latest twist of the controversy over ties between Trump associates and Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency.

 

The move means Sessions, a powerful member of Trump's inner circle, will not be briefed on details of the investigation. Should the Federal Bureau of Investigation decide to move forward with charges, Sessions would not be in a position to weigh in on whether or not the Department of Justice should take the case.

 

The controversy comes as Trump and Republicans who control Congress are trying to move past early administration missteps and focus on issues important to them, including immigration, tax cuts and repealing the Obamacare healthcare law.

 

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia hacked and leaked Democratic emails during the election campaign as part of an effort to tilt the vote in Trump's favour. The Kremlin has denied the allegations.

 

Trump fired national security adviser Michael Flynn last month after revelations that Flynn had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak before Trump took office and that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

 

During his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Sessions responded to a question from Democratic Senator Al Franken that he did not "have communications with the Russians" during the presidential campaign.

 

But on Wednesday night, the Washington Post revealed that Sessions, who was a senior campaign aide of Trump's, received Kislyak in his Senate office in September.

 

The other encounter was in July at a Heritage Foundation event that was attended by about 50 ambassadors, during the Republican National Convention, the Post said.

 

Sessions said he was "honest and correct" in his answer to Franken, drawing a distinction between his role as a senator and his role as a campaign aide.

 

"I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign," Sessions said, but added that he felt that he should not be involved in investigating a campaign in which he had a role.

 

'ALICE IN WONDERLAND'

 

Before the news conference, Trump stood by his attorney general, saying he had "total" confidence in Sessions. Asked whether Sessions should step aside from the investigations, Trump told reporters, "I don't think so."

 

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi accused Sessions of breaking the law by lying under oath during his Senate confirmation hearing.

 

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sessions had misled Congress over his contacts with the ambassador and should resign for the good of the country, adding it would be like "Alice in Wonderland" if the administration were to approve Sessions' investigating himself.

 

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee asked the FBI to launch a criminal investigation into Sessions' statements to Congress about his communication with Russian officials.

 

Sessions is one of many "subjects" of a wide-ranging government investigation of any contacts between the Trump's campaign and associates and Russia, said two U.S. officials familiar with the investigation.

 

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sessions was not now a "target" of the probe by the FBI, the Treasury Department, the CIA and the National Security Agency.

 

The investigation, one of the officials said, has a number of subjects because of the numerous contacts between associates of Trump, including Flynn, and the Russian Embassy in Washington as well as Russian and some Ukrainian businessmen and companies.

 

Trump called frequently during his campaign for improved relations with Russia, drawing criticism from Democrats and some Republicans. Ties with Russia have been deeply strained in recent years over Moscow's military interference in Ukraine, military support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and President Vladimir Putin's intolerance of political dissent.

 

Trump has accused officials in former Democratic President Barack Obama's administration of trying to discredit him with questions about Russia contacts. The White House dismissed the revelation of the Sessions meetings as a partisan attack, saying on Thursday that Sessions' contacts with the ambassador had been as a member of the Armed Services Committee.

 

The Russian Embassy to the United States, shrugging off the uproar, said on Thursday it was in regular contact with "U.S. partners."

 

(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Ayesha Rascoe, Steve Holland, Julia Edwards Ainsely, Patricia Zengerle and John Walcott; Writing by Doina Chiacu, Will Dunham, Roberta Rampton and Nick Tattersall; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-03

 

[SheungWan]

Oh yes. Now I remember. I did have meetings. But I was wearing a different hat at the time.

[LannaGuy]

much ado about nothing

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, LannaGuy said:

much ado about nothing

I'm not so sure....lots more will be coming out as these investigations start.  Here's but one bit of info:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971658-two-more-trump-campaign-officials-met-russian-envoy-usa-today/

 

Quote

 

At least two additional officials in Donald Trump's presidential campaign said they spoke with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyan at a conference on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention last July, USA Today reported on Thursday.

 

The newspaper said J.D. Gordon, who was the Trump campaign's director of national security, and Carter Page, another member of the campaign's national security advisory committee, both said they met the ambassador.

 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who also met Kislyan at the conference of diplomats in Cleveland that coincided with the Republican convention to select Trump as the party's presidential candidate.

 

 

Sessions met the Russian diplomat in the same city as the Republican convention. 

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-republican-convention-foreign-diplomats-soak-it-in-1469058170

 

Quote

 

At Republican Convention, Foreign Diplomats Soak It In

Dignitaries say they find the whole spectacle ‘unbelievable’

 

 

[SheungWan]

10 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

much ado about nothing

 

5 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Sessions met the Russian diplomat in the same city as the Republican convention. 

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-republican-convention-foreign-diplomats-soak-it-in-1469058170

Well fancy that!

[Silurian]

Sessions must go! The office of the Attorney General is held to a higher standard and is not a place for a person that lies under oath or misleads Senators using false statements. Sessions must resign or the Senators must ask for him to step down.

 

Sessions also misinformed Senator Pat Leahy in a a submitted questionnaire regarding Russian contact. The truth will out.

 

LEAHY: Several of the President-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?

SESSIONS: No.

 

Legal experts think Jeff Sessions is in a whole mess of trouble

http://www.vox.com/world/2017/3/2/14790816/jeff-sessions-russia-perjury-law

 

[craigt3365]

4 minutes ago, Silurian said:

Sessions must go! The office of the Attorney General is held to a higher standard and is not a place for a person that lies under oath or misleads Senators using false statements. Sessions must resign or the Senators must ask for him to step down.

 

Sessions also misinformed Senator Pat Leahy in a a submitted questionnaire regarding Russian contact. The truth will out.

 

LEAHY: Several of the President-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?

SESSIONS: No.

 

Legal experts think Jeff Sessions is in a whole mess of trouble

http://www.vox.com/world/2017/3/2/14790816/jeff-sessions-russia-perjury-law

 

From that article, which is very good.  Thanks!

 

Quote

During his confirmation hearing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified, under oath, that “I did not have communications with the Russians.” We now know, thanks to the Washington Post, that this is false: Sessions met with the Russian ambassador to the US twice in the past year, when he was serving as both a Trump adviser and a US senator.

 

Kinda shows why Trump and his crew don't like the media.  They expose their BS.  Which is why a free and fair media is extremely important.

 

That article says they've contacted all 20 members of the committee he was on.  Not one said they had met the Russian ambassador.  It's highly unusual.

 

More to come...unfortunately....

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, LannaGuy said:

much ado about nothing

So why did he have to lie about it?  These Trump Administration people sure do lie a lot.  It starts at the top. 

[IAMHERE]

He was being questioned about his activities as a team member for Trumps election campaign; not as to his activities as a senator. He would not lie about an office visit to his senatorial offices, it just didn't fit the criteria of the questioning session.

As to 50 ambassadors at a cocktail party? Heck, anyone could be there but who is talking business about the election. A modern day witch hunt by the democrats.

[kamahele]

26 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

He was being questioned about his activities as a team member for Trumps election campaign; not as to his activities as a senator. He would not lie about an office visit to his senatorial offices, it just didn't fit the criteria of the questioning session.

As to 50 ambassadors at a cocktail party? Heck, anyone could be there but who is talking business about the election. A modern day witch hunt by the democrats.

Here is the quote from Sessions where he confirms he was a Trump surrogate and that he didn't meet with the Russians courtesy of politifact

"Sessions: "Senator Franken, 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 didn't have — did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it." "

[WaywardWind]

2 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

much ado about nothing

If one considers commission of a felony punishable by five years in federal prison to be  much ado about nothing, then yes, you would be correct.

[LannaGuy]

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

So why did he have to lie about it?  These Trump Administration people sure do lie a lot.  It starts at the top. 

I don't believe he did - it was just a chat with the Ambassador not really considered a 'contact'.  Dems are just bleating because they lost the election so they pick away at trivia

[Chicog]

Funny isn't it? All those Benghazi investigations where they desperately tried to find things that weren't there.

Now they're desperately trying not to find things that are.

[LannaGuy]

5 minutes ago, kamahele said:

Here is the quote from Sessions where he confirms he was a Trump surrogate and that he didn't meet with the Russians courtesy of politifact

"Sessions: "Senator Franken, 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 didn't have — did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it." "

true... he didn't as i don't think any rational person would consider a chat with an Ambassador 'communications with the Russians'  (which implies more than a chat with an Ambassador)

[Chicog]

1 minute ago, LannaGuy said:

I don't believe he did - it was just a chat with the Ambassador not really considered a 'contact'.  Dems are just bleating because they lost the election so they pick away at trivia

Of course he lied.

And there were are least two meetings they know about so far.

 

He was given the opportunity to disclose this both in verbal and written questioning.

 

So, the question is: Why the lie?



 

[craigt3365]

4 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

I don't believe he did - it was just a chat with the Ambassador not really considered a 'contact'.  Dems are just bleating because they lost the election so they pick away at trivia

It is a violation of federal law for this type of contact.  Probably falls under the Logan Act.  Definitely a crime.  Sure, the dems want to pursue this and the republicans want to brush it under the rug.  It needs to be investigated.  If nothing else, to clear the air.

[LannaGuy]

Just now, Chicog said:

Of course he lied.

And there were are least two meetings they know about so far.

 

He was given the opportunity to disclose this both in verbal and written questioning.

 

So, the question is: Why the lie?



 

no lie he didn't disclose it as he probably thought they were 'nothing' just a chat with the Ambassador and sometimes a 'banana is just a banana' and all of this makes the US look foolish

[LannaGuy]

Just now, craigt3365 said:

It is a violation of federal law for this type of contact.  Probably falls under the Logan Act.  Definitely a crime.  Sure, the dems want to pursue this and the republicans want to brush it under the rug.  It needs to be investigated.  If nothing else, to clear the air.

well they will investigate it and in true US style FOUR different committee's will look at it and I don't like Session's but it's a WITCH HUNT by the Sour Grape Dems 

 

How about they concentrate on Isis?  the economy?  

[Chicog]

1 minute ago, LannaGuy said:

no lie he didn't disclose it as he probably thought they were 'nothing' just a chat with the Ambassador and sometimes a 'banana is just a banana' and all of this makes the US look foolish

 

The US already looks foolish for letting Russia get away with it.

[Chicog]

Just now, LannaGuy said:

well they will investigate it and in true US style FOUR different committee's will look at it and I don't like Session's but it's a WITCH HUNT by the Sour Grape Dems 

 

How about they concentrate on Isis?  the economy?  

Yeah, how many Benghazi investigations were there again?

And now the Democrats are the bad guys?

Strewth you boys have short memories.

[LannaGuy]

1 minute ago, Chicog said:

 

The US already looks foolish for letting Russia get away with it.

get 'away' with what????   details please

[Chicog]

1 minute ago, LannaGuy said:

get 'away' with what????   details please

Did you not read the intelligence report that showed that Russia was hacking at will?

Or is it yet more selective memory?

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and give you a chance to read it:

https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/JAR_16-20296A_GRIZZLY STEPPE-2016-1229.pdf

 

Edited March 3, 2017 by Chicog

[Chicog]

2 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

again... DETAIL and FACTS  not your imagination please

Sorry?

An official Intelligence report is "My imagination"?

Look in the mirror my friend.

 

[craigt3365]

8 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

well they will investigate it and in true US style FOUR different committee's will look at it and I don't like Session's but it's a WITCH HUNT by the Sour Grape Dems 

 

How about they concentrate on Isis?  the economy?  

So if one of the highest members of the US administration potentially committed a crime, by talking with a hostile nation, it's considered sour grapes?  Really?  Hardly.  It needs to be taken seriously.  Politics aside.

 

It's hard for the administration to concentrate on more important things when they keep making mistakes like this.  Terrible performance so far by Trump and team.

[craigt3365]

12 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

no lie he didn't disclose it as he probably thought they were 'nothing' just a chat with the Ambassador and sometimes a 'banana is just a banana' and all of this makes the US look foolish

It was a lie.  He did talk with Russian officials, he said he didn't.  Can't spin it any other way.  Impossible.

[Chicog]

And there is surely a great irony that on the day Sessions was having one of the meetings he "forgot", Trump was giving an interview to Russia Today!

[LannaGuy]

13 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

So if one of the highest members of the US administration potentially committed a crime, by talking with a hostile nation, it's considered sour grapes?  Really?  Hardly.  It needs to be taken seriously.  Politics aside.

 

It's hard for the administration to concentrate on more important things when they keep making mistakes like this.  Terrible performance so far by Trump and team.

what 'hostile nation'?  you think Russia is a 'hostile nation'?  why?  back to the Cold War huh?

[Ramen087]

Sessions... the AG who went up a molehill and came down a mountain.  US politics is embarrassing. This kind of thing happens on both sides of the aisle and the animosity serves no one except the interests of the respective political parties. I don't know if things are significantly different in other nations, but I sure hope so.

[Chicog]

4 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

what 'hostile nation'?  you think Russia is a 'hostile nation'?  why?  back to the Cold War huh?

Now you must be joking.

 

[LannaGuy]

Just now, Chicog said:

Now you must be joking.

 

no I'm not joking... let's ask some questions of ourselves?  have you ever been to Russia?  do you know any Russian's?  have you studied Russian history maybe?  speak any Russian?  why are you so afraid of Russia?