As reports surfaced that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during election season, some people were caught off guard. After all, Sessions, during his confirmation hearing, stated that he didn’t have any improper talks with Russia, but with these new revelations, Republicans and Democrats want answers.
During a town hall on CNN on Wednesday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was asked about the situation and stated that Trump has a “blind spot” when it comes to Russia. The news about Sessions broke as the town hall began, so Graham wasn’t specific, but he said if there’s validity to the claims about Sessions, then he should recuse himself from the investigation into Russian-Trump ties and make way for an independent prosecutor:
“If there is something there and it goes up the chain of investigation, it is clear to me that Jeff Sessions, who is my dear friend, cannot make this decision about Trump. If there’s something there, then for sure you need a special prosecutor.”
Sessions has denied the claims against him, but in the wake of National Security Adviser stepping down for not disclosing his calls to Russia, the spotlight is fully on the Trump administration. Several Democrats, including Sen. Al Franken and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, have reacted to the news. Pelosi has called for Sessions’ resignation, while Franken felt troubled by Sessions’ alleged lie under oath.
Meanwhile, Senator Elizabeth Warren has lashed out on Twitter to question Sessions’ credibility and say that he must resign.
Now Jeff Sessions is AG – the final say on the law enforcement investigation into ties between the Trump campaign & Russia? What a farce.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2017
This is not normal. This is not fake news. This is a very real & serious threat to the national security of the United States.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2017
We need a special prosecutor totally independent of the AG. We need a real, bipartisan, transparent Congressional investigation into Russia.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2017
And we need Attorney General Jeff Sessions – who should have never been confirmed in the first place – to resign. We need it now.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2017
Sessions has maintained that he had no improper conversations with the Russian ambassador, but this story shall likely continue to unfold, one way or the other.
(Via Mediate, CNN & Business Insider)