Sessions refuses to discuss conversations
with Trump on Russia
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[October 19, 2017]
By Sarah N. Lynch and Lisa Lambert
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney
General Jeff Sessions refused on Wednesday to answer lawmakers'
questions about his discussions with President Donald Trump on Russia
and denied lying to Congress about his own contacts with Russians during
the 2016 election campaign.
In often testy exchanges with Senate Democrats, Sessions denied having
misled them when he said during his Senate confirmation hearing earlier
this year that he had not met with Russian officials during the
presidential campaign.
"I conducted no improper discussions with Russians at any time regarding
the campaign," Sessions told a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight
hearing.
Sessions was forced to recuse himself from investigations into Russian
interference in the election and possible collusion by Trump campaign
aides after it was revealed in March that he met with Russian ambassador
Sergei Kislyak at least twice in 2016.
The Washington Post reported in July that U.S. intelligence agencies
picked up intercepts in which Kislyak told the Kremlin he had held
substantive discussions with Sessions about Trump's positions on
U.S.-Russia relations.
Sessions said on Wednesday he could not recall the specific details of
the conversation.
"I don’t think there was any discussions about the details of the
campaign," he said. "It could have been that in that meeting in my
office or at the convention ... some comments were made about what
Trump’s positions were. I think that’s possible.”
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy told Sessions that many members of the
committee believe Sessions gave "false testimony" when he had previously
denied meeting with Russians.
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U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before a Senate
Judiciary oversight hearing on the Justice Department on Capitol
Hill in Washington, U.S., October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Sessions said he believed the context of that question related only
to matters specific to the 2016 campaign interference, and told
Leahy he had answered it truthfully.
"I believe my answer was correct," Sessions said.
He also repeatedly said he was barred from discussing the content of
confidential conversations with Trump.
Those refusals appeared likely to fuel congressional Democrats'
frustration with the Trump administration over what they say is its
inadequate cooperation with investigations into the Trump campaign's
dealings with Russia.
Russia has denied interfering in the U.S. election and Trump has
said there was no collusion.
Sessions also said on Wednesday that he has not been interviewed or
received any interview requests by Special Counsel Robert Mueller,
who is leading the investigation into alleged Russian interference
in the election.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Lisa Lambert; Editing by Chizu
Nomiyama and Alistair Bell)
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