As security adviser during the campaign, Sessions said, he did not recall being asked by the candidate about alleged Russian interference in the election. Several media outlets have reported that Comey told the Intelligence Committee in closed session last week that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was examining whether Sessions met with Kislyak at a Washington hotel past year. "I may have had an encounter" with Ambassador Kislyak at a District of Columbia hotel in April 2016, Sessions allowed.
"If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it", Sessions said.
With pressure growing on the White House over Mr Comey's dismissal and the Russia probe, Mr Sessions also defended himself against Democratic allegations that he gave misleading testimony about his contacts with Russian officials during his confirmation hearing. Comey's decision to announce a year ago that Clinton would not be prosecuted over her emails was a "usurpation" of the Justice Department's authority, Sessions said. When the Independent Senator Angus King from ME asked him about the basis of his refusal to answer any of the questions relating to his conversations with the President even when he'd testified that he had no right to invoke executive privilege nor has the President asserted his right to hide his own private conversations, Sessions replied that he was simply "protecting the right of the president to assert it if he chooses". Sessions previously admitted to meeting Kislyak on two other occasions after initially saying during his confirmation hearing that he'd never met with Russian officials. Mueller was recently appointed to lead the investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russian Federation to influence the 2016 election.
He has recused himself from any existing or future investigations relating to last year's presidential campaigns because he acted as an advisor to the Trump campaign. On Tuesday, Sessions declined to say.
The attorney general said he now has "no knowledge" of the criminal investigation being headed by Robert Mueller, a former director of the FBI who was named as special counsel in the case by Sessions' Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who assumed oversight of the Russian Federation probe after Sessions recused himself.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee suggested to CNN's Wolf Blitzer that Congress could ultimately be prepared to hold Sessions in contempt of Congress in an effort to force him to testify in more detail. Such Trump supporters as Newt Gingrich and Sean Hannity have raised questions about Mueller's fitness for the post and whether there's any need for a special counsel's probe. Far from being silent, Sessions said he "backed [Comey] up in his concerns".
The reason the deputy attorney general is in charge is his boss has recused himself.
Trump visits lawmaker recovering from shooting at baseball practice in Virginia
In a national address, Trump appealed for unity following the morning assault in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. Hodgkinson has been in the area since March, living out of his van, said Washington FBI Special Agent In Charge Tim Slater.
Sessions did not cite executive privilege in declining to answer some questions but said he is "protecting the right of the president to assert it if he chooses".
When Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), pressed Sessions for more information after fired FBI Director James Comey told the committee last week there were "problematic" reasons why Sessions needed to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation into Russian election meddling, Sessions responded with perhaps the most memorable line of his testimony.
"I know how this will be discussed, but that's the rule that's been long adhered to by Department of Justice, as you know, Sen". She says Trump thought Sessions was especially "strong" on denying any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian Federation.
Sessions added: "These false attacks, the innuendo, and the leaks, you can be sure, will not intimidate me". He could not point to specific Justice Department language, even though Sessions said he had consulted with department attorneys before the hearing. "You don't walk into any hearing or committee meeting and reveal confidential communications with the President of the United States".
Warner made clear in his opening remarks they were already planning to bring Sessions in for questioning later this year, well before Sessions offered to appear before them.
Sessions confirmed Comey's account, but he placed less emphasis on the Trump-Comey meeting.
Sessions contradicted Comey's testimony that he never heard any feedback from Sessions about his meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
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