Attorney General Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Probe

News Staff : Mar 3, 2017
CBN News

Sessions affirmed that his meeting was "honest and correct" but will not be involved in any potential investigation into an administration he is involved in. 

(Washington, DC) — [CBN News] Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he will recuse himself from any federal investigation into Russian interference in the presidential elections in a news conference Thursday. (Screengrab via CBN News)

"I have decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States," Sessions said. "I appreciate that some take the view that this was a false comment. That is not my intent. That is not correct."

Sessions says he did not lie when he testified during his confirmation hearing that he had no interaction with Russians during the 2016 election campaign. He made sure to distinguish between his previous conversations with a Russian in his role as a senator and his role in the Trump administration.

Sessions made it clear he did not speak with the ambassador about anything that would compromise the election.

"I don't recall any specific political discussions," he says. 

Instead, Session says they talked about faith, terrorism, and the Ukraine. 

"I remember saying I had gone to Russia with a church group in 1991 and he said he was not a Believer himself but was glad to have some church people there," he recalls.

 "We talked a little bit about terrorism as I recall." he adds. "And somehow the Ukraine came up."

Sessions said after a "testy" discussion about Russia's involvement in Ukraine, the ambassador invited him to have lunch with him, which Sessions denied. 

Sessions affirmed that his meeting was "honest and correct" but will not be involved in any potential investigation into an administration he is involved in. He says he is doing so at the urging of senior career officials in the Justice Department.

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