U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday having an undisclosed meeting with Russia's ambassador to the United States and declared it was a "detestable and appalling lie" to suggest he was aware of or took part in any collusion between Russian Federation and the election campaign that sent Donald Trump to the White House. This led Comey to ask aloud before Congress the question on everyone's mind: "If - if, as the president said, I was sacked because of the Russian Federation investigation, why was the attorney general involved in that chain?"
Sessions is now the only Trump official on the record, under oath, countering Comey's testimony last week under oath. Comey said that, after an encounter with President Donald Trump in which he said Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, Comey "implored" Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again -but that Sessions didn't respond. The testimony raised serious questions as to whether the nation's top law enforcement official is undermining the rule of law.
"I did not have any private meetings nor recall any private conversations with any Russian official at the Mayflower Hotel", Sessions told the Senate intelligence committee. She said such a move would "destroy any shred of trust in the president's judgment that remains over here".
"The suggestion that I participated with any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country.is an appalling and detestable lie".
Democratic senators pressed him on the legal rationale for his refusal to discuss those private conversations, as Sessions acknowledged that Trump had not asserted executive privilege around the hearing. Democrats not satisfied with Sessions answers.
"You are obstructing that congressional investigation by not answering that question", charged Senator Marin Heinrich.
"I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling", Wyden said.
US official wishes Rodman well in North Korea
Fowle left a Bible in a local club hoping a North Korean would find it, which is considered a criminal offense in North Korea. He said the issue of several Americans currently detained by North Korea is "not my objective right now".
"He didn't recall this, but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy" regarding s with the White House, Sessions said.
When Comey testified, there was nobody carrying water for the White House on the Senate Russia probe - even though half of the panel is comprised of Senate Republicans.
Sessions appeared before the Senate intelligence committee as part of its investigation into possible ties between Trump campaign officials and Russian Federation. But I have to tell you, Senator King, I know nothing but what I've read in the paper. In testy exchange, AG Jeff Sessions decries "secret innuendo being leaked out there" about his recusal https://t.co/rYsOYVGAu6 pic.twitter.com/dyNdzWWgVa - ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) June 13, 2017 2.
He says he is confident that Mueller will have "the full independence he needs" to investigate thoroughly. Franken didn't join the calls for Sessions to resign, but he did say no less than three times that Sessions testify before the committee that he sits on.
He said he was avoiding saying anything in case the president might later choose to exercise his executive privilege to withhold certain evidence.
Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said he believes the Comey disclosure violated Federal Bureau of Investigation regulations but said the Office of Professional Responsibility may be reluctant to look into an disciplinary allegation against a former rather than current employee. But he said that he was unable to say whether he had discussed Comey's handling of the FBI investigation on the principle that his conversations with the President should be kept confidential.
First, Sessions discounted Comey's report that Sessions didn't want to leave the room because he felt like something might be amiss.
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