Sessions denies Russia ties
Attorney general calls allegations ‘appalling’
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he has confidence in special investigator Bob Mueller.
Washington power-players have pushed back against the suggestion that the special counsel investigating the Russia affair could be fired, moving to tamp down the sudden talk bubbling up from allies of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The deputy attorney general currently overseeing the Russia investigation, who did the hiring and would have to do the firing, assured he would resist an unwarranted dismissal order: “I’m not going to follow any order unless I believe they are lawful and appropriate orders. … It wouldn’t matter to me what anybody said,” Rod Rosenstein said.
Jeff Sessions, also promised Tuesday not to get involved in any firing. For one thing, the attorney general testified in a separate congressional hearing: “I have confidence in Mr. Mueller.”
He said it would be inappropriate for him to get involved — given that he has recused himself from Russia-election-related matters. When his opponents pointed out that his recusal didn’t stop him from participating in the firing of James Comey, he insisted the Comey firing was done for other reasons.
Sessions frustrated some committee members by refusing to answer questions about the president: Had Trump complained about his recusing himself, as reported in the press? What happened when Sessions left the room, and Trump allegedly pressed Comey to end an investigation? Have he and the president ever discussed the possibility of issuing criminal pardons in the Russia matter?
“I’m not able to comment on conversations with high officials within the White House,” Sessions said. “That would be a violation of the communications rule that I have.”
He said he was avoiding saying anything in case the president might later choose to exercise his executive privilege to withhold certain evidence. Sessions’ Democratic critics quipped that’s like refusing to answer questions in court, because you might later request immunity under the Fifth Amendment.
Democrat Martin Heinrich accused him of impeding the probe.
“You raised your right hand here today and you said you would solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Now you’re not answering questions. You’re impeding this investigation,” Heinrich said.
He said Sessions had a right to either answer, ask for a private hearing, or invoke executive privilege. However, he said there’s no legal statute allowing him to exercise an option No. 4 — avoid testifying about questions he feels are inappropriate.
The hearing didn’t delve too deeply into the original concern behind the inquiry, which is what Russian actors allegedly did in the election to hack emails, and allegedly voting systems, to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process.
Republicans said it appears Democrats don’t care about this anymore, ever since Comey said the president himself was not under investigation for election collusion. “(Now Democrats) have gone down lots of rabbit trails,” Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton said.
Sessions said he has not received briefings on any Russia hacking.
He did appear to forget some details. He didn’t recall if he had a third meeting with the Russian ambassador, in addition to the original two he initially failed to report.
“It’s conceivable that that occurred,” Sessions said. “I just don’t remember it.”
One thing he was adamant about is that he would never have colluded with a foreign adversary, in an American election.
“The suggestion that I participated in any collusion — that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honour for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process — is an appalling and detestable lie,” he said.