NM reaction

Three NM Democrats call for resignation

WASHINGTON — Three congressional Democrats from New Mexico called on U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign Thursday after learning of his contact with a Russian ambassador during the presidential campaign.

Sen. Tom Udall, and Reps. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Ben Ray Luján each said that Sessions’ integrity had been compromised by false or misleading statements about his communications with Russian officials during his confirmation hearing and that he is no longer fit to serve.

“Attorney General Sessions’ statements to Congress, under oath, were at best misleading, and that is concerning in and of itself,” said Udall, a former New Mexico attorney general. “In the context of the Trump administration’s lack of full disclosure about its connections to Russia, Attorney General Sessions has raised so many doubts about his integrity and his ability to lead the Department of Justice that I believe the nation would be better off if he resigned.”

Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Rep. Steve Pearce, the New Mexico delegation’s lone Republican, stopped short of calling for Sessions’ immediate resignation. But both said the matter should be investigated.

“In the interest of government accountability and transparency, all the evidence in these claims against Attorney General Sessions should be released and investigated,” Pearce said.

“Attorney General Sessions needs to come clean, and testify under oath and answer questions in a public hearing,” Heinrich said.

Lujan Grisham said Sessions should resign and requested additional investigation into the Trump administration’s ties to Russia.

“Attorney General Sessions has eroded the public’s trust and he should resign,” she said. “We need an independent prosecutor to investigate every aspect of Russian interference in the election, and alleged ties to the president, his advisers and associates.”

Luján said that Sessions is “compromised” and that he should step down or President Donald Trump should fire him.

“It is simply unacceptable that Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath about his communications with Russian officials,” Luján said. “His role as our nation’s top law enforcement official has been compromised and he should do the right thing and resign.”