Thursday, March 2, 2017

Jeff Sessions Disqualifies Himself From Russia Investigation, But‘What Did Trump Know And When Did He Know It?’

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday he would recuse himself from overseeing the federal investigation into alleged Russian interference in the presidential election, citing the advice of his staff."

“I believe those recommendations are right and just,” he said. “Therefore I have recused myself from matters with the Trump campaign,.” writes the Atlantic’s Matt Ford.
.
In the opinion of Robert Reich, Attorney General Jeff Sessions now says he’ll recuse himself from overseeing the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the presidential election, citing the advice of his staff.

”In reality, it was the advice of numerous congressional Republicans, coming in light of yesterday’s revelations that Sessions lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee when he denied having any contacts with Russian officials during the Trump campaign. (Sessions met twice with Russian ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak, amid suspected Russian hacking directed at Hillary Clinton’s campaign.) Today Sessions said “I don’t recall” whether Mr. Trump or the presidential election, which was then two months away, came up in the discussion with the ambassador.

”Trump’s reaction? He ‘wasn’t aware’ that Sessions had spoken to the ambassador.

”It’s the same response Trump gave when his national security advisor, Michael Flynn, was revealed to have been in contact with the Russian ambassador.

”Eventually the issue will be: What did Trump know and when did he know it?

”For now, though, Trump is waiting out the storm over Sessions. Unless Republicans call for Sessions to resign because he lied under oath – committed perjury – recusal is as far as Sessions or the White House will go.”
'I Have Recused Myself From Matters With the Trump Campaign’
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions stepped aside from the Russia investigation on Thursday amid questions about his contacts with Moscow’s ambassador during the election.