Sessions denies lying to Congress about Russia contacts

Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsCurtis wins Chaffetz’s former Utah House seat Overnight Cybersecurity: What we learned from Carter Page’s House Intel testimony | House to mark up foreign intel reform law | FBI can’t access Texas shooter’s phone | Sessions to testify at hearing amid Russia scrutiny FBI can’t unlock Texas shooter’s phone MORE on Tuesday denied that he lied under oath about contacts with Russia even as he acknowledged his interactions with a low-level Trump campaign adviser who offered to broker a meeting with Moscow.

During six hours of testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Sessions faced repeated questions about a meeting that included the former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, who is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Session acknowledged that he participated in the meeting with Papadopoulos and other Trump campaign officials last year. 

“I do now recall the March 2016 meeting at Trump Hotel that Mr. Papadopoulos attended, but I have no clear recollection of the details of what he said during that meeting,” Sessions said. “After reading his account, and to the best of my recollection, I believe that I wanted to make clear to him that he was not authorized to represent the campaign with the Russian government.” 

Court documents unsealed by Mueller at the end of October revealed that Papadopoulos, a volunteer foreign policy adviser, pleaded guilty in October to lying to FBI agents about his contacts with Russia-connected individuals during the campaign. 

Documents released by Mueller showed that Papadopoulos sought for several months to set up a meeting between the Trump campaign and Moscow, helped by an intermediary identified in the indictment as a professor in London. 

Sessions walked a fine line in his testimony, simultaneously insisting that his recollection of a meeting with Papadopoulos was foggy while insisting that he “pushed back” on any possible meeting with Russia.

The attorney general also refused to challenge former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page’s account of a June 2016 conversation during which he says he informed Sessions of an impending trip to Moscow. At the same time, Sessions insisted he did not recall the interaction, which Page recounted to House Intelligence Committee members earlier this month.

The developments fueled charges from Democrats that Sessions lied under oath during his confirmation hearing when he said he had no knowledge of contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

“That is exactly the opposite answer you gave under oath to the U.S. Senate,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). “Either you’re lying to the U.S. Senate, or you’re lying to the U.S. House of Representatives.” 

Sessions was defiant.

“My story has never changed,” Sessions said. “I have always told the truth.” 

Tuesday’s testimony is likely to generate further scrutiny of the attorney general.

In January, Sessions told the Senate Judiciary Committee he was unaware of interactions between Trump campaign surrogates and Russian government “intermediaries” and that he himself “did not have communications with the Russians.” 

Later, it surfaced that Sessions met twice with Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak — once at the Republican National Convention in July 2016 and again in his Senate office in September. Sessions is also alleged to have met with Kislyak a third time in April 2016 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.

The developments resulted in Sessions recusing himself from all Russia-related investigations, including the one that Mueller is now conducting as special counsel.

On Tuesday, Sessions continued to defend his statements during his confirmation hearing as truthful, explaining that he was specifically addressing a news report cited by Sen. Al FrankenAlan (Al) Stuart FrankenOvernight Tech: Senate panel subpoenaed ex-Yahoo chief | Twitter gives all users 280 characters | FBI can’t access Texas shooter’s phone | EU wants tax answers from Apple Week ahead: DHS nominee heads before Senate | Ex-Yahoo chief to testify on hack | Senators dig into election security Feinstein: Sessions should re-testify on Russia meetings MORE (D-Minn.) about continuing contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. 

“My focus was on responding to the concern that I, as a surrogate, was participating in a continuing series of meetings with intermediaries for the Russian government,” Sessions said. “I certainly didn’t mean I had never met a Russian in the history of my life.”

“My response was, according to the way I heard the question, as honest as I could give it at the time,” Sessions said later. 

Democrats said Sessions was simply shifting his story.

“It’s difficult to take your assurances under oath when you seem to change your testimony each time new evidence emerges,” said Rep. Pramila JayapalPramila JayapalFemale Dem lawmaker posts video of GOP chairman ‘mansplaining’ bill to her Dem introduces measures calling for Trump to fire staff who have backed white supremacists MORE (D-Wash.).

Republicans on the committee at times tried to deflect from the Russia questioning by pressing Sessions on the possibility of appointing a second special counsel to investigate matters related to Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonGOP rushes to cut ties to Moore Papadopoulos was in regular contact with Stephen Miller, helped edit Trump speech: report Bannon jokes Clinton got her ‘ass kicked’ in 2016 election MORE.  

The hearing took place just weeks after the special counsel’s office revealed Papadopoulos’s guilty plea, as well as a slew of financial-related charges against former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Robert Gates.

Trump and his associates have described Papadopoulos role in the campaign as minimal. 

Sessions said Tuesday that he has not consulted with Mueller or anyone at the FBI about his interactions with Papadopoulos. 

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Roy Moore addresses church crowd in Alabama amidst sexual assault scandal

At the “God Save America Revival Conference” at Walker Springs Road Baptist Church in Jackson, Alabama on Tuesday night, embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore addressed a loyal crowd and made little mention of his sexual assault scandal.

“Obviously I’ve made a few people mad. I’m the only one who can unite Democrats and Republicans because I seem to be opposed by both,” said Moore. “They’ve spent over $30 million to try to take me out, they’ve done everything they could, and now they’re together to try to keep me from going to Washington.”

Moore was met by applause when he walked into the church, with his wife Kayla at his side. He spoke following almost an hour of preaching and songs from a youth choir.

“Today you find out that people would rather hear criticisms of a person than look at what he’s done for 20 to 30 to 40 years,” said Moore.

Moore’s speech to the congregation focused on religious liberties, with Moore at the center of a battle over “God in America” — a battle he said he plans to bring to Washington “if it is God’s will.”

“I want to speak the truth, I want to take the truth about God to our Capitol,” said Moore.

“Now I’m running for — Senate of the United States — what do you think I’m going to do? Why do you think they’re giving me this trouble? Why do you think I’m being harassed by the media and by people pushing forth allegations in the last 28 days of this election, last 30 days it began?” asked Moore. “After 40 something years of fighting this battle I’m now facing allegations and that’s all the press want to talk about, but I want to talk about the issues, I want to talk about where this country is going and if we don’t come back to God, we’re not going anywhere.”

While Moore has vowed not to drop out of the Senate race, Republican leaders are debating how to proceed with a candidate they no longer support on the ballot.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell floated the idea of Attorney General Jeff Sessions — who remains popular in Alabama — returning to his Senate seat.

“We’re in discussion now about how to salvage his seat, if possible, and it appears as if the only option would be a write in,” McConnell said at a Wall Street Journal CEO Council event on Tuesday evening. “The Alabamian who would fit that standard is the attorney general, who is totally well known and extremely popular in Alabama. And obviously it would be a big move for him and for the president, but I think the president is winding his way back the United States and I’m confident this is an issue they’re discussing in great detail.”

The Associated Press

If Moore was elected, McConnell said the Senate could take action to remove him from office.

“It would be a rather unusual beginning,” said McConnell.

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement today that the Senate should vote to expel Moore if he wins the race in Alabama.

“I believe the individuals speaking out against Roy Moore spoke with courage and truth, proving he is unfit to serve in the United States Senate and he should not run for office. If he refuses to withdraw and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate,” Gardner said in a statement.

Fox News host Sean Hannity, whose early defense of Moore led him to lose sponsors, changed course on his show Tuesday said Moore has “24 hours” to face the allegations.

“For me, the judge has 24 hours. You must immediately and fully come up with a satisfactory explanation for your inconsistencies that I just showed,” said Hannity on his show. “You must remove any doubt. If you can’t do this, then Judge Moore needs to get out of this race. This country has way too many issues and problems. The American people deserve 100% truth and honesty.”

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