Sessions interviewed by special counsel

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed last week by investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into possible election campaign coordination between Russia and President Donald Trump’s associates, according to Justice Department officials.

Sessions was questioned for several hours, officials said. In addition to the Russian coordination probe, Mueller is also investigating whether Trump or any White House officials sought to obstruct justice in the probe.

The attorney general is recused from that investigation, but could be a key witness to events under scrutiny. In 2016, he met at least twice with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. After Trump was elected, Sessions was one of the officials involved in discussions with the president that led to firing of FBI Director James Comey in May, at a time Comey was overseeing the Russia probe. Sessions’ lawyer, Chuck Cooper, who was with him during the interview, declined to comment.

The interview, the first known instance of a Cabinet official being interviewed in the Mueller investigation, was first reported by the New York Times. Months ago, the special counsel’s office also interviewed Comey, but that was described as brief, involving Comey vouching for contents of memos he wrote of private conversations with the president, according to people familiar with the matter. REPORTED BY ELLEN NAKASHIMA, DEVLIN BARRETT AND SARI HORWITZ / THE WASHINGTON POST