Martin Heinrich and California Sen.
"I don't think that's a question for me to answer", Rosenstein responded. "You're impeding this investigation".
"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 appropriate contacts with the White House", Sessions told the panel.
Those calls have escalated since fired FBI Director Comey cryptically told lawmakers last week that the bureau had expected Sessions to recuse himself weeks before he did from the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian Federation during the 2016 presidential election. Sessions previously offered to resign because of tensions with Trump over his recusal decision.
FILE- In this September 6, 2013, file photo, Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the USA speaks with reporters at the Center for the National Interest in Washington.
"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", Sessions testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
But in the rat-a-tat-tat of follow-up questions, Sessions slowly pried that door open again, by increasingly hedging his answers. "And I don't appreciate it", Sessions said, letting his folksy Southern charm give way to red-faced anger.
"Well, I am unable to answer the questions", Sessions said.
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. That's the part that sets out the president's powers, that it comes from the president's interest in protecting the confidentiality of internal executive branch deliberations and communications.
"I thought he should have resigned after his being caught in not being forthcoming with the truth in his confirmation hearings", said Booker.
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When asked about the issue by the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions deferred to the President's account. Angus King, I-Maine, that he has not read the consensus report from U.S. intelligence agencies on Russian meddling and has not sought any briefings. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., suggested the attorney general was ducking questions, angering Sessions. He said he never sought or received intelligence relating to Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. "Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected with the Trump campaign".
"The suggestion that I participated in any collusion.to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process is an appalling and detestable lie", Sessions said. Mueller was recently appointed to lead the investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russian Federation to influence the 2016 presidential election. He responded to questions regarding comments Monday from Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax Media and a friend of Donald Trump, that Trump might fire Robert S. Mueller III. He can't remember the substance of his interactions with former FBI Director James Comey regarding Comey's stated discomfort with an impromptu one-on-one meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, which took place after Sessions and Vice President Mike Pence were asked to step out.
"No", Sessions joked, before admitting, "Yes, I do".
He said he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had begun discussing replacing Comey before either of them was confirmed in their jobs.
One is the firing of FBI Director James Comey, which Sessions recommended in a memo, for reasons that are still unclear.
Addressing allegations that he had unreported meetings with Russian officials while he advised the Trump campaign, Sessions said he had already acknowledged two encounters previous year with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Mr Trump has suggested there might be tapes of his encounters with Mr Comey.
There's a viral photo showing Jeff Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak together on a day Sessions claims the two never met, but the image isn't quite the smoking gun some are claiming it to be.
However, Sessions refused to say whether he ever spoke with Trump about firing Comey. Sessions reiterated Tuesday those meetings were in his capacity as a lawmaker and not about the campaign.
Sessions said 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.
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