This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/us/politics/jeff-sessions-testimony.html

The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Sessions’s Senate Testimony: How to Watch and What to Expect Sessions’s Senate Testimony: How to Watch and What to Expect
(about 4 hours later)
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is scheduled to testify on Tuesday, starting at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, before the Senate Intelligence Committee about matters linked to the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Follow our briefing here throughout the day for the latest updates and live video once the hearing begins.Attorney General Jeff Sessions is scheduled to testify on Tuesday, starting at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, before the Senate Intelligence Committee about matters linked to the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Follow our briefing here throughout the day for the latest updates and live video once the hearing begins.
• In March, Mr. Sessions recused himself from any inquiry related to the 2016 presidential campaign. Although he justified that decision as stemming only from the fact that he had played a role in the Trump campaign, it came after a report that he had two contacts with the Russian ambassador last year despite having testified at his confirmation hearing that he had not communicated with the Russians. (He has argued that his testimony was accurate in context.) • In March, Mr. Sessions recused himself from any Russia-related inquiry related to the 2016 presidential campaign. Although he justified that decision as stemming only from the fact that he had played a role in the Trump campaign, it came after a report that he had two contacts with the Russian ambassador last year despite having testified at his confirmation hearing that he had not communicated with the Russians. (He has argued that his testimony was accurate in context.)
• He has been under renewed scrutiny since his role came up several times during testimony before the Intelligence Committee last week by James B. Comey, whom President Trump fired as F.B.I. director. In a letter to Congress on Saturday, Mr. Sessions said he wanted to address those matters before the same panel.• He has been under renewed scrutiny since his role came up several times during testimony before the Intelligence Committee last week by James B. Comey, whom President Trump fired as F.B.I. director. In a letter to Congress on Saturday, Mr. Sessions said he wanted to address those matters before the same panel.
• After some initial uncertainty over whether Mr. Sessions would deliver his testimony in an open or closed session, the Justice Department said on Monday that he would testify publicly. • President Trump is awake and tweeting, venting about the news media, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Loretta Lynch, who served as attorney general under former President Barack Obama.
Mr. Sessions came up in three contexts during Mr. Comey’s testimony. Here is a look at the key areas that are likely to be the subjects of the senators’ questions.
First, Mr. Comey told the committee that after a Feb. 14 meeting, Mr. Trump cleared the Oval Office of other officials — including Mr. Sessions — and then made private comments that Mr. Comey interpreted as an improper order to drop a criminal investigation into Michael T. Flynn, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser. Mr. Comey implored Mr. Sessions never to leave him alone again with the president, but Mr. Sessions did not reply.First, Mr. Comey told the committee that after a Feb. 14 meeting, Mr. Trump cleared the Oval Office of other officials — including Mr. Sessions — and then made private comments that Mr. Comey interpreted as an improper order to drop a criminal investigation into Michael T. Flynn, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser. Mr. Comey implored Mr. Sessions never to leave him alone again with the president, but Mr. Sessions did not reply.
In a statement issued after the testimony, the Justice Department denied that account on behalf of Mr. Sessions.In a statement issued after the testimony, the Justice Department denied that account on behalf of Mr. Sessions.
“The attorney general was not silent; he responded to this comment by saying that the F.B.I. and Department of Justice needed to be careful about following appropriate policies regarding contacts with the White House,” the statement said.“The attorney general was not silent; he responded to this comment by saying that the F.B.I. and Department of Justice needed to be careful about following appropriate policies regarding contacts with the White House,” the statement said.
Mr. Comey testified that he did not tell Mr. Sessions specifically about what Mr. Trump had said because he and other F.B.I. officials expected that Mr. Sessions would soon have to recuse himself, based on classified facts “that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic.”Mr. Comey testified that he did not tell Mr. Sessions specifically about what Mr. Trump had said because he and other F.B.I. officials expected that Mr. Sessions would soon have to recuse himself, based on classified facts “that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic.”
That led officials to believe that “he was not going to be in contact with Russia-related matters much longer.” That led officials to believe that “he was not going to be in contact with Russia-related matters much longer,” Mr. Comey said.
Mr. Comey saved the details of that matter for testimony he delivered behind closed doors last week. CNN has reported that it appeared to center on intercepted “Russian-to-Russian conversations” suggesting that Mr. Sessions may have had a third undisclosed contact with the Russian ambassador at an April 2016 reception at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.Mr. Comey saved the details of that matter for testimony he delivered behind closed doors last week. CNN has reported that it appeared to center on intercepted “Russian-to-Russian conversations” suggesting that Mr. Sessions may have had a third undisclosed contact with the Russian ambassador at an April 2016 reception at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.
The Huffington Post first reported on March 8 that Mr. Sessions and the ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak, had attended that event, at which Mr. Trump was also present, but the Justice Department has said Mr. Sessions did not speak with the ambassador then. Two weeks ago, after CNN resurfaced the idea that there may have been a third meeting, Sarah Isgur Flores, a spokeswoman for Mr. Sessions, reiterated a denial.The Huffington Post first reported on March 8 that Mr. Sessions and the ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak, had attended that event, at which Mr. Trump was also present, but the Justice Department has said Mr. Sessions did not speak with the ambassador then. Two weeks ago, after CNN resurfaced the idea that there may have been a third meeting, Sarah Isgur Flores, a spokeswoman for Mr. Sessions, reiterated a denial.
“The facts haven’t changed; the then-senator did not have any private or side conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel,” she said in a statement.“The facts haven’t changed; the then-senator did not have any private or side conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel,” she said in a statement.
A Democratic senator asked Mr. Comey last week about whether Mr. Sessions was adhering to his recusal from matters related to the Russia investigation in light of the fact that when Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey, the White House released a memo from Mr. Sessions recommending his removal.A Democratic senator asked Mr. Comey last week about whether Mr. Sessions was adhering to his recusal from matters related to the Russia investigation in light of the fact that when Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey, the White House released a memo from Mr. Sessions recommending his removal.
The memo did not mention Russia, but Mr. Trump separately told NBC News that he was thinking about the Russia investigation when he decided to fire Mr. Comey.The memo did not mention Russia, but Mr. Trump separately told NBC News that he was thinking about the Russia investigation when he decided to fire Mr. Comey.
“If, as the president said, I was fired because of the Russia investigation, why was the attorney general involved in that chain?” Mr. Comey testified on Thursday. “I don’t know.”“If, as the president said, I was fired because of the Russia investigation, why was the attorney general involved in that chain?” Mr. Comey testified on Thursday. “I don’t know.”
Just hours before Mr. Sessions was to testify on Tuesday, the president accused Mr. Sessions’s predecessor, Ms. Lynch, of acting illegally.
“A.G. Lynch made law enforcement decisions for political purposes,” Mr. Trump tweeted, apparently a reference to testimony by Mr. Comey that Ms. Lynch pressed him to call the Hillary Clinton email investigation “a matter” rather than an investigation.
“Gave Hillary Clinton a free pass and protection. Totally illegal!” Mr. Trump added.
Mr. Trump’s comment about Ms. Lynch on Tuesday morning was one of a blizzard of tweets by Mr. Trump in which the president also railed against the news media.
“The Fake News Media has never been so wrong or so dirty. Purposely incorrect stories and phony sources to meet their agenda of hate. Sad!” Mr. Trump wrote at 6:35 a.m. It was not clear which articles he was referring to.
Later, he added: “Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???”
Mr. Trump also expressed frustration about the appeals court, which ruled on Monday against the president’s revised travel ban.
“Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again — Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C.,” he wrote.