As allegations heat up that Attorney General Jeff Sessions improperly tied himself to Russian authorities during the 2016 presidential race, the former Alabama Senator has made it clear that claims being made against him are false.
“I never had a meeting with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries during the campaign,” he said.
During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Sessions recalled a promise that he would recuse himself from any case where there may be a conflict of interest. He said that after meeting with senior officials that he decided to follow the recommendations before him by recusing himself from current or future investigations regarding the Trump campaign. The suggestions, he said, were “right and just.”
“In the end, I have followed the right procedure, just as I assured the [Senate Judiciary Committee] that I would,” Sessions said.
“I think I should not be involved in an investigation of a campaign I had a role in,” he added.
During his confirmation hearing, he had been dogged by Democrat Minnesota Senator Al Franken, who raised questions about the Trump campaign’s supposed relationships with Russian operatives.
“I did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment,” Sessions told Franken at the time.
It was revealed Wednesday that Sessions, while serving as a Senator, held a meeting in his office with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. While some have implied the new information meant that Sessions wasn’t forthcoming about speaking with the foreign diplomat, he adamantly stated that he was fully honest during the course of his confirmation hearings, and believed Sen. Franken was referring to ongoing meetings. According to him, his discussion with Kislyak was an independent event, and two senior staffers were present during the meeting. Topics of discussion included the Ukraine and terrorism.
“I think ambassadors are always out trying to find out things and lay out their agenda,” Sessions told reporters.
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