Jeff Sessions Supplements Congressional Testimony, Says Answer On Russian Contacts Was Correct

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has supplemented his congressional testimony from Jan. 10 after it was reported that he met twice with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. but did not disclose the meetings at his Senate confirmation hearing.

At his confirmation hearing, Sessions was asked by Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, what he would do if he learned of evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign had communicated with Russians during the 2016 campaign.

“I’m not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I didn't have — did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it," Sessions said in response.

In a supplement sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, Sessions said his answer was correct.

"As I noted in my public statement on March 2, 2017, I was surprised by the allegations in the question, which I had not heard before. I answered the question, which asked about a 'continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government,' honestly. I did not mention communications I had had with the Russian Ambassador over the years because the question did not ask about them," Sessions wrote.

He said that as he disclosed at the press conference on March 2, he spoke briefly with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July at the conclusion of a speech he gave, when he also met and spoke with other ambassadors. Sessions wrote that in September 2016, he met with Kislyak at his Senate office in front of members of his Senate staff.

"I do not recall any discussions with the Russian Ambassador, or any other representative of the Russian government, regarding the political campaign on these occasions or any other occasion," he wrote.

Sessions also wrote that he did not supplement the record to note contact with Kislyak prior to the Washington Post report that disclosed the revelations because he considered his answer responsive. He also contended that his staff had arranged a meeting with appropriate ethics officials before he was made aware of any concern about the accuracy of his testimony. Sessions wrote that after the meeting on March 2 he announced his recusal from any investigations pertaining to alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, had called on the Justice Department inspector general to investigate Session's recusal.

"As part of this investigation, we ask that you consider whether and when the Attorney General consulted with ethics officials or others regarding his involvement in these investigations, his contacts with Russian officials, and his testimony before our Committee during the confirmation process," said the statement, issued by Feinstein and four other Democratic senators. "We also ask that you examine communications between Attorney General Sessions and the White House regarding recusal or the pending investigations, and the extent to which the Attorney General was involved in these investigations prior to his recusal. Please recommend appropriate action to address any problems that you discover.”

Sessions said the scope of his recusal included "Russian contact with the Trump transition team and administration," as was asked in a letter from committee Democrats, though he noted that it should not be taken as any evidence of the existence of any such investigation or its scope.

Democrats called on Sessions to resign from his post while also calling for an independent prosecutor to investigate any potential ties between the Russians and the Trump campaign.

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