U.S. attorney general dodges Trump questions, angering Democrats

[webfact]

U.S. attorney general dodges Trump questions, angering Democrats

By Julia Edwards Ainsley and Patricia Zengerle

 

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions finishes testifying before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday denounced as a "detestable lie" the idea he colluded with Russians meddling in the 2016 election, and he clashed with Democratic lawmakers over his refusal to detail his conversations with President Donald Trump.

 

Sessions, a senior member of Trump's Cabinet and an adviser to his election campaign last year, had a series of tense exchanges with Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee during about 2-1/2 hours of testimony as they pressed him to recount discussions with the Republican president.

 

"You raised your right hand here today and said you would solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich said. "Now you're not answering questions. You're impeding this investigation."

 

Sessions refused to say whether he and Trump discussed FBI Director James Comey's handling of an investigation into possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia during the election campaign before the president fired Comey on May 9.

 

He also declined to say if Trump opposed Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe in March, and whether Justice Department officials discussed possible presidential pardons of individuals being looked at in the probe.

 

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden told Sessions: "I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged."

 

"I am not stonewalling," Sessions replied, saying he was simply following Justice Department policy not to discuss confidential communications with the president.

 

Sessions' testimony did not provide any damaging new information on Trump campaign ties with Russia or on Comey's dismissal, but his refusal to discuss conversations with Trump raised fresh questions about whether the White House has something to hide.

 

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, which is conducting a parallel Russia probe, said on Twitter that Congress "must compel responses using whatever process necessary."

 

Last week, Comey told the Senate committee that Trump had fired him to undermine the FBI's investigation of the Russia matter.

 

Trump's decision to fire Comey, a move recommended by Sessions despite having already recused himself from the Russia probe, prompted critics to charge that the president was trying to interfere with a criminal investigation.

 

Senator Angus King, an independent, questioned Sessions' legal basis for refusing to answer questions after Sessions said Trump had not invoked executive privilege regarding the conversations.

 

Executive privilege can be claimed by a president or senior government officials to withhold information from Congress or the courts to protect the executive branch decision-making process.

 

Sessions said it would be "inappropriate" for him to reveal private conversations with Trump when the president "has not had a full opportunity to review the questions and to make a decision on whether or not to approve such an answer."

 

Legal experts said there was some merit to Sessions' argument.

 

Andrew Wright, a professor at Savannah Law School and associate counsel under former President Barack Obama, said it was not unusual for government employees to refuse to discuss conversations with the president in order to preserve the right to invoke executive privilege later.

 

'APPALLING'

 

Sessions' clash with the Democratic senators was the latest chapter in a saga that has dogged Trump in his first five months as president and distracted from his domestic policy agenda including major healthcare and tax cut initiatives.

 

"The suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for over 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie," Sessions said.

 

"I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any 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 with the Trump campaign."

 

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a report released in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to interfere in the election to help Trump in part by hacking and releasing damaging emails about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

 

Russia has denied any such interference, and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign with Moscow.

 

Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in March after revelations that he had failed to disclose two meetings last year with Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak.

 

In his testimony on Tuesday, Sessions addressed media reports that he may have had a third previously undisclosed meeting with Kislyak at Washington's Mayflower Hotel last year.

 

Sessions said he did not have any private meetings and could not recall any conversations with any Russian officials at the hotel but did not rule out that a "brief interaction" with Kislyak may have occurred there.

 

A former Republican senator, Sessions was an early supporter of Trump's presidential campaign, but sources say there has been tension between the two men in recent weeks because Trump was annoyed that Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe.

 

Sessions said on Tuesday he did not recuse himself because he felt he was a subject of the investigation himself but rather because he felt he was required to by Justice Department rules.

 

(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Richard Cowan, Andy Sullivan, Amanda Becker, Warren Strobel, Steve Holland, David Alexander, Jan Wolfe and Mohammad Zargham; Writing by Will Dunham and Dustin Volz; Editing by Kieran Murray and Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-14

[Dagnabbit]

Whoever wrote this article obviously didn't watch it.

 

He didn't dodge any questions.

 

[Usernames]

9 minutes ago, Dagnabbit said:

Whoever wrote this article obviously didn't watch it.

 

He didn't dodge any questions.

 

That's the sort of propaganda that floods this site.

[Silurian]

40 minutes ago, Dagnabbit said:

He didn't dodge any questions.

 

He didn't have to dodge as he just couldn't remember (or recall) anything of substance. What a great trait to have as an Attorney General...the lack of a memory. They should have asked him what he had for breakfast...he probably wouldn't be able to recall.

 

25 Times Jeff Sessions Had a Convenient Memory Lapse While Testifying

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/25-times-sessions-had-a-convenient-memory-lapse-while-testifying-w487894

 

[Andaman Al]

50 minutes ago, Dagnabbit said:

Whoever wrote this article obviously didn't watch it.

 

He didn't dodge any questions.

 

I watched it and he did exactly as the OP says.

[tonray]

look.. none of these boobs knows anything of substance in my opinion. Maybe Flynn talked illegally about lifting the sanctions but that is about it.  I think at the core are financial bailouts for Trump's businesses that happened a decade ago and without his tax returns we will likely never know what debt he is trying to repay. I do think Russia meddled in the election but likely no collusion except the Russians playing these boobs like Sessions and Flynn for info to help their cause. In essence they were  used by Putin.. but I do believe that Trump ultimately owes Putin and friends some big debts but we will likely never hear about it.

Edited June 14, 2017 by tonray

[roobaa01]

g'daya folks ,

 

1. the smear campaign without against mr. president donald trump is petering out  in hot air . the political correctness class are rubbing their eyes in disbelieve, well done mr. president persevere. what have these political witch hunters to offer 1. harming the usa and its people by slowing down willfully the country's development 2. besmearing the reputation of the states.

 

wbr

roobaa01

[boomerangutang]

1 hour ago, Dagnabbit said:

Whoever wrote this article obviously didn't watch it. He didn't dodge any questions. 

                                    You see what you want to see, hear what you want to hear.  If you see a flooded river and tell us the water is not flowing, that's your opinion.  You're allowed to believe whatever you want.

 

                                   It's so achingly obvious (to any reasonable people) that Trump and his cohorts are guilty of multiple legal sins AND covering-up AND covering up clumsily.  I've watched the Mainstream media's commentaries in the past few hours.  Not even Trump supporters are supporting Trump or Sessions.  Even some of Trump's staunchest supporters are throwing up their hands and admitting Trump's sheeple are covering up, and lying incessantly.

 

 

[dutchisaan]

1 hour ago, roobaa01 said:

g'daya folks ,

 

1. the smear campaign without against mr. president donald trump is petering out  in hot air . the political correctness class are rubbing their eyes in disbelieve, well done mr. president persevere. what have these political witch hunters to offer 1. harming the usa and its people by slowing down willfully the country's development 2. besmearing the reputation of the states.

 

wbr

roobaa01

You need some help reading, listening and watching the news. The one that is harming  the USA and it's people is the orange clown and his followers who cann't or won't see what the heck is going on!

The trumpeteers have only one thing to say; Everything the Donald said is true and everybody else lies. And if you don't believe us, we will bring up the election, and the sore democrat losers!

Edited June 14, 2017 by dutchisaan

[ilostmypassword]

2 hours ago, Dagnabbit said:

Whoever wrote this article obviously didn't watch it.

 

He didn't dodge any questions.

 

Really? One of my favorite parts of the hearing was when Sessions cited Executive Privilege as a reason he couldn't answer some questions. He was then asked if the President had invoked Executive Privilege. Sessions replied that the President hadn't invoked it but Sessions wanted to preserve Trump's right to invoke it in the future! 

 

[mikebike]

Anyone who watched the testimony who thinks he wasn't dodging Harris' questions regarding the phantom "policy" that he "thinks" is written down doesn't understand the term "dodging".

[JHolmesJr]

1 hour ago, boomerangutang said:

 You see what you want to see, hear what you want to hear.

 

As do you….and your followers.

 

as of now, Ive not SEEN or HEARD anything incriminating.

 

Keep plugging away…you got the next 8 years mapped out.

Edited June 14, 2017 by JHolmesJr

[Andaman Al]

14 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

as of now, Ive not SEEN or HEARD anything incriminating.

Because when it gets to all the incriminating parts they refuse to answer .

[ilostmypassword]

18 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

As do you….and your followers.

 

as of now, Ive not SEEN or HEARD anything incriminating.

 

Keep plugging away…you got the next 8 years mapped out.

Well, as long as people like Sessions invoke invalid reasons for not testifying to the full extent of their knowledge, there's no chance you will hear anything incriminating from any Congressional inquiries.

[stander]

Loved Jeff Sessions testimony yesterday, he took a page from the PresidentTrump playbook: Be straight up and don't take any sh*t from this liberal lynch mob. Sessions schooled them and made the Democrats look stupid. The witch hunt coming to an end.

[JHolmesJr]

30 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

Because when it gets to all the incriminating parts they refuse to answer .

 

25 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Well, as long as people like Sessions invoke invalid reasons for not testifying to the full extent of their knowledge, there's no chance you will hear anything incriminating from any Congressional inquiries.

 

Missing two or three similar responses from the club…but i get the general drift.

 

We just know he's guilty but we can't prove it.

 

 

[mikebike]

How does a bipartisan committee become a "liberal lynch mob" exactly?

[stander]

3 hours ago, Usernames said:

That's the sort of propaganda that floods this site.

The motto here is "Never let the facts get in the way of a good narrative"

[mikebike]

Loved Jeff Sessions testimony yesterday, he took a page from the PresidentTrump playbook: Be straight up and don't take any sh*t from this liberal lynch mob. Sessions schooled them and made the Democrats look stupid. The witch hunt coming to an end.

The motto here is "Never let the facts get in the way of a good narrative"

Ah, I see you replied to yourself!

[dunroaming]

4 hours ago, roobaa01 said:

1. harming the usa and its people by slowing down willfully the country's development 2. besmearing the reputation of the states.

 

I think that Trump is doing a good job with both of those points.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, stander said:

Loved Jeff Sessions testimony yesterday, he took a page from the PresidentTrump playbook: Be straight up and don't take any sh*t from this liberal lynch mob. Sessions schooled them and made the Democrats look stupid. The witch hunt coming to an end.

1 hour ago, mikebike said:

How does a bipartisan committee become a "liberal lynch mob" exactly?

Because a majority of the members are conservative republicans.  That should be obvious. Either that or Stander is purposely giving us an educational demonstration of Pavlov's law.

 

 

[mikebike]

4 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Because a majority of the members are conservative republicans.  That should be obvious. Either that or Stander is purposely giving us an educational demonstration of Pavlov's law.

 

 

Not being intentionally obtuse but... say what?

[ilostmypassword]

3 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Not being intentionally obtuse but... say what?

I'm guessing your referring to the Pavlov section of my comments. It's all about conditioned-reflexes as opposed to thinking. Anyone using the higher centers of the brain to respond would immediately spot the faultiness of that statement no matter what political orientation he or she had. 

[mikebike]

1 minute ago, ilostmypassword said:

I'm guessing your referring to the Pavlov section of my comments. It's all about conditioned-reflexes as opposed to thinking. Anyone using the higher centers of the brain to respond would immediately spot the faultiness of that statement no matter what political orientation he or she had. 

OK, now I'm with ya!!

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed. 

[kamahele]

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions (that's quite a southern mouthful) did in fact dodge much of the questioning trying to assert a possible invocation of executive privileged at a later date (as did others testifying last week). This is serious stuff. Two elected bodies of the government are controlled by the President's own party have elected to investigate the issues regarding Russia's involvement in the election and officials working for the President have refused to answer questions before the peoples' representatives. Had this been a court of law, Sessions and the two intelligence advisers last week would be sitting in jail.

[kamahele]

1 hour ago, mikebike said:

How does a bipartisan committee become a "liberal lynch mob" exactly?

How does a bipartisan committee in a government controlled by the president's own party, become a liberal lynch mob?! lol

[stander]

 Sessions was in a public venue and had no obligation to disclose confidential information.

https://www.justice.gov/olc/opinion/confidentiality-attorney-general’s-communications-counseling-president

[mikebike]

3 minutes ago, stander said:

 Sessions was in a public venue and had no obligation to disclose confidential information.

https://www.justice.gov/olc/opinion/confidentiality-attorney-general’s-communications-counseling-president

Yeah, we got that from the Comey hearing. Hence the closed session afterwards. Why is that news?

[dutchisaan]

2 hours ago, stander said:

Loved Jeff Sessions testimony yesterday, he took a page from the PresidentTrump playbook: Be straight up and don't take any sh*t from this liberal lynch mob. Sessions schooled them and made the Democrats look stupid. The witch hunt coming to an end.

Yes, off course you loved it! But, how come you don't understand what is going on?

Well, let's try to explain that to you.

I'm sure you know that Sessions knew he had to go to a hearing.

I'm sure you know that the donald new about this.

I'm sure that we can expect that the clown and Sessions talked about this.

So, why was he not backup by the donald, with his privelidge power to block anything he doesn't like?

Well, the answer is clear, The donald only cares about him self and anybody else is just in the way.

But please don't let the reality stand in your way.