Sessions is the most high-profile figure from the Trump administration to appear for a hearing into the matter.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, appearing at a high-stakes Senate hearing, on Tuesday denounced as "an appalling and detestable lie" the idea that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.
"That. Why don't you tell me?" At one point, the normally soft-spoken Sessions tangled with Sen.
"If Trump and his associates have done something improper, you've got to investigate that as well", Stewart said.
In his opening statement, Sessions also said he is bound to protect private communications with the president, suggesting he will not answer some questions about the firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation director James B. Comey.
Sessions raised his voice to the Democratic senator pressing him for an answer, insisting there were no such reasons. Sessions reportedly offered to resign in wake of the president's criticism.
"I'm not able to comment on conversations with high officials within the White House", Sessions said.
Russian Federation has denied any such interference, and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign with Moscow. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., suggested the attorney general was ducking questions, angering Sessions. "Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged".
"Sir, I'm not asking about the principle", she countered.
New Mexico Senator frustrated by Sessions' refusal to answer questions
Sessions says he was there for a speech by then-candidate Donald Trump and members of Sessions' staff also were there. The FBI Director was ostensibly fired over his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.
The Trump administration would be far from the first to invoke executive privilege - although previous presidents have had mixed success in asserting that power.
What's not clear is if Trump will be forced to invoke executive privilege to stop Sessions from testifying again, or from handing over the documents senators requested Tuesday.
"I have no knowledge of the investigation beyond what has been reported in the press, " Sessions said. Trump could recommend to the Justice Department that the special counsel be fired.
United States 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. The former FBI Director said that, until mid-February, he chose not to approach Sessions about Trump's repeated approaches to him about the investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Comey himself had a riveting appearance before the same Senate panel last week, with some key moments centered on Sessions.
He corroborated Comey's statement that Comey had asked Sessions not to leave him alone with the president.
Vice Chairman Warner begins his questions of Sessions. He's denied any ties between the Trump campaign and Russian Federation, and tells senators he was never filled in on the hacking details. "I only know what I've read in the paper", Sessions told Sen.
After learning that members of the appropriations committee meant to ask him questions about the Russian Federation investigation, Sessions notified the House and Senate committees' leadership that he would be changing his schedule because "the Senate Intelligence Committee is the most appropriate forum for such matters". The first-term senator opened by suggesting Democrats on the committee were going down "rabbit trails", invoked the novels of John le Carré and the James Bond films and generally cast questions about potential collusion between the Trump campaign as Russian Federation as the work of outlandish spy fiction. "People are suggesting through innuendo that I have been not honest. and I've tried to be honest".
During his testimony last week, Comey said he had notes of meetings with Trump in which the president asked him for a pledge of personal loyalty and to drop the Russian Federation investigation as it pertained to former national security adviser Flynn.
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