Get Premium Data for Cyber Monday: Up to 55% Off InvestingProCLAIM SALE

Attorney General Sessions defends reply on Russia contacts

Published 03/06/2017, 07:38 PM
Updated 03/06/2017, 07:40 PM
© Reuters. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at a news conference

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday defended his conduct at a January confirmation hearing where he denied having contacts with Russian officials during the course of the presidential campaign when he was an adviser to Donald Trump.

"My answer was correct," Sessions, who last week said he would stay out of any probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, wrote in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

Sessions repeated that he spoke to Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, and again at his Senate office in Washington in September.

At a news conference on Thursday, Sessions said he should have said during the confirmation hearing that he had met with the ambassador in his role as a senator. The Washington Post first disclosed the meetings on Wednesday.

Many Democrats, who are pushing for a broad probe of ties between Trump campaign associates and Russian operatives, have called for Sessions to resign. Sessions, then a U.S. senator from Alabama, was a high-ranking player in Trump's 2016 campaign.

Sessions' denial of contacts with Russians had come in response to a question by Democratic Senator Al Franken about what he would do if reports of contacts between Trump associates and Russians were true.

"I did not mention communications I had had with the Russian Ambassador over the years because the question did not ask about them," Session wrote in the letter to Grassley, which he said was meant to supplement his January testimony.

Sessions said his recusal would apply not just to any alleged Russian contact with the Trump campaign, but also with the Trump transition team and administration.

"This should not be taken as any evidence of the existence of any such investigation or its scope," he added.

The Republican president has backed his attorney general and accused Democrats of blowing the issue out of proportion for political purposes.

© Reuters. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at a news conference

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia hacked and leaked Democratic emails during the election campaign as part of an effort to tilt the vote in Trump's favor. Russia has denied the allegations.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.