Uh oh… attorney general Jeff Sessions has some explaining to do.
In the wake of everyone gushing over Donald Trump‘s ability to read a teleprompter and stay on message for an hour-long speech, his attorney general is facing backlash over an ongoing theme with the Trump administration… alleged ties to Russia.
According to the allegations made by Justice Department officials, the attorney general had two meetings last year with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) spoke twice last year with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Justice Department officials said, encounters he did not disclose when asked about possible contacts between members of President Trump’s campaign and representatives of Moscow during Sessions’s confirmation hearing to become attorney general.
One of the meetings was a private conversation between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that took place in September in the senator’s office, at the height of what U.S. intelligence officials say was a Russian cyber campaign to upend the U.S. presidential race.
Smoke continues to billow from the Trump administration and the ties to Russia stretching back to the campaign season when it’s suspected Russian hackers meddled in the presidential election. Not only that, the accusations surrounding Sessions comes not long after former national security advisor Michael Flynn failed to disclose meetings with Mike Pence with the same Russian ambassador during the campaign.
Granted the difference between the Flynn meetings and Sessions meetings were apparent in that Sessions was still a member of the senate while Flynn was a private citizen and probably in violation of the never enforced Logan Act. However on a much more serious note Sessions may have perjured himself during his confirmation hearings when he was asked directly by senator Al Franken about any ties to Russia which the now Attorney General failed to make mention of.
Sen. Franken on AG Sessions: Would like him to answer questions and “then we can see if he should resign or not.” https://t.co/TpVfBQQxMy
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 2, 2017
In response, many top republics have called for Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation into the Russian ties while top democrats like senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and house minority leader Nancy Pelosi have called for the now embattled AG to resign.
Sessions has said that he would recuse himself but only if it was appropriate.
In @NBCNews exclusive video AG Sessions says he will recuse himself from Russia investigation whenever appropriate: pic.twitter.com/wKajg9MUJj
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) March 2, 2017
My only question is that if the meetings weren’t a big deal, then why not disclose them? Especially during your confirmation hearing.
