U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday he did nothing improper in meeting twice last year with Russia's ambassador to Washington, and that any suggestion he colluded with Moscow officials in last year's presidential election campaign is an "appalling and detestable lie".
But for Texas Sen.
Sessions testified that he met with a "senior ethics official" at the Department of Justice the day after he was sworn in as attorney general.
The hearing didn't delve too deeply into the original concern behind the Senate intelligence committee inquiry, which is what Russian actors allegedly did the election to hack emails, and allegedly voting systems, to undermine faith in the U.S. Democratic process.
- The details of a February 14 Oval Office meeting, where Sessions and other top aides left the room and Trump talked to Comey alone.
In a February meeting, Comey said, Trump told Sessions and other administration officials to leave the room before asking him to drop a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russian Federation. "And when asked, I said that to the president".
"Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign", he said.
Sessions, who said earlier that he recalled "pushing back" on Russia's actions in Ukraine when he met with Kislyak. appeared confused, choosing instead to respond to McCain's earlier question about whether he ever discussed "Russia-related security issues" with Kislyak.
"That's right, Sessions is defending his honor from scurrilous innuendo", Meyers said.
"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 said.
The hearing will bring contentious questioning for Sessions and likely some uncomfortable moments for the Trump administration.
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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Sessions replied that it is "longstanding policy" in the Department of Justice not to do so. "Senator Harris, let him answer the question". The latest tempest includes stories that Trump is considering firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel who picked up where Comey left off.
He says Comey's decision to announce the results of the investigation without Justice Department approval was "a stunning development" because "the FBI is the investigative team".
Lawmakers grilled Sessions about his role in Comey's firing, his own involvement in the Trump campaign and his meetings with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US.
Sessions hedged nearly all of his answers about whether/when he met with Russians, or why he was involved in firing Comey, or how he feels about the president's decisions, with: "I don't recall" or "I believe so" or "maybe".
"Our committee will want to hear what you are doing to ensure that the Russians - or any other foreign adversaries - can not attack our democratic process like this ever again".
"Sir, I'm not asking about the principle".
Wyden said Sessions' answer "doesn't pass the smell test".
"I have confidence in Bob Mueller", said top House Republican Paul Ryan, in remarks echoed by top senator Mitch McConnell.
Sessions made clear a couple of times that he was not claiming executive privilege for himself, but rather that he was protecting the president's right, "if he chooses", to later assert the privilege.
But: Sessions also said he thought Comey should be fired. "What are they?", Wyden asked.
He is set to testify hours after Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appeared in the Senate and said he's seen no basis for firing Robert Mueller, the former FBI director he appointed as special counsel to oversee the Russian Federation investigation.
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