Sessions contradicts Comey at Senate intelligence hearing
'Detestable and appalling lie' to suggest he colluded with Russia, says U.S. attorney general
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday that he had any undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador or conversations with Russian officials about the U.S. elections. He vowed to defend his honour "against scurrilous and false allegations."
- Catch up on Sessions's testimony by reading the recap of CBC's live blogof the hearing
Sessions testified it was a "detestable and appalling lie" to suggest that he participated in or was aware of any collusionbetween Russia and the Trump campaign.
In his appearance before former colleagues, Sessions also contradicted a contention made by former FBI director JamesComeyat a hearing before the same panel last week.
Comey said that, after an encounter with President Donald Trump in which he said Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, he had "implored" Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again but that Sessions didn't respond.
"I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy" regarding contacts with the White House, Sessions said.
Comey fired for 'usurpation'
Asked about Comey's firing, Sessions saidComey's decision to announce that Hillary Clinton would not be prosecuted over her emails was a "usurpation" of the Justice Department's authority.
Sessions said he recommended Comey's firing after a number of concerns about his job performance. But Comey'svery public handling of the Clinton email investigation was chief among them.
He said Comey's decision to announce the results of the investigation without Justice Department approval was "a stunning development" because "the FBI is the investigative team. They don't decide prosecution."
He called Comey's move "a thunderous thing" and it caused him to conclude "that a fresh start was appropriate."
Sessions also said he was involved in Comey's firing because he oversees the FBI. He added that, "to suggest that a recusal from a single specific investigation" would render him unable to manage the leadership of the FBI would be "absurd."
Sessions angrily denied that there were problems related to his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation into Russian activities during the election.
Comey testified earlier thathe knew of reasons why it would be problematic for Sessions to remain involved in the Russia investigation, even before he recused himself.
Sessions raised his voice to the Democratic senator pressing him for an answer, insisting there were no such reasons.
Sessions said to SenatorRon Wyden: "Why don't you tell me? There are none, SenatorWyden, there are none."
Sessions bristled at Wyden, telling the Oregon senator that people are suggesting through innuendo that he has not been honest.
"I don't appreciate it."
'You're impeding this investigation':senator
"You raised your right hand here today and said you would solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich said. "Now you're not answering questions. You're impeding this investigation."
Sessions refused to say whether he had discussed FBI director James Comey's handling of the FBI's Russia probe with Trump before the president fired Comey on May 9. Similarly, he did not answer whether Trump had expressed concern to Sessions about the attorney general's March decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Sessions previously offered to resign because of tensions with Trump over his recusal decision.
Sessions also refused to answer whether any Justice Department officials had discussed possible presidential pardons of individuals being looked at in the Russiainvestigations.
Russia has denied repeatedly that it interfered in the U.S. election, and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign with Moscow.
'I am not stonewalling'
Wyden told Sessions, "I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged."
"I am not stonewalling," Sessions replied. Sessions said he was following Justice Department policy and would not discuss confidential communications with the president.
Senator Angus King, an independent, questioned Sessions's legal basis for refusing to answer. Sessions said Trump had not invoked executive privilege regarding the conversations.
Executive privilege is a power that can be claimed by a president or senior executive branch officials to withhold information from Congress or the courts to protect the executive branch decision-making process.
"It is my judgment that it would be inappropriate for me to answer and reveal private conversations with the president when he has not had a full opportunity to review the questions and to make a decision on whether or not to approve such an answer," Sessions said.
'Scurrilous and false allegations'
The former Alabama senator defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing by saying he hadn't met with Russian officials during the campaign. Sessions argued that in the context of the hearing, "my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it."
Sessions said he recused himself from the Justice Department's Russia investigation only because of a regulation to require the step because of his involvement in the Trump campaign. He never, he insisted, knew anything about the Russia probe or had any role in it.
While he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Sessions said, "I did not recuse myself from defending my honour against scurrilous and false allegations."
Watch the full testimony
With files from Reuters
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