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Jeff Sessions Gives a Master Class in Dissembling Jeff Sessions Gives a Master Class in Dissembling
(about 20 hours later)
If the testimony on June 8 by the former F.B.I. director, James Comey, was a startling example of candor in Washington, the appearance on Tuesday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions before the Senate Intelligence Committee was a master class in bamboozling, blustering and butt-covering.If the testimony on June 8 by the former F.B.I. director, James Comey, was a startling example of candor in Washington, the appearance on Tuesday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions before the Senate Intelligence Committee was a master class in bamboozling, blustering and butt-covering.
Sessions said with outrage that any suggestion that he might have done anything wrong, especially colluding with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election, was an “appalling and detestable lie.” That was a moment of clarity. But it came in his opening statement and was not repeated during the rest of the hearing.Sessions said with outrage that any suggestion that he might have done anything wrong, especially colluding with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election, was an “appalling and detestable lie.” That was a moment of clarity. But it came in his opening statement and was not repeated during the rest of the hearing.
Sessions said at the outset that he would “respond to questions as fully as the Lord enables me to do,” by which he apparently meant not very fully.Sessions said at the outset that he would “respond to questions as fully as the Lord enables me to do,” by which he apparently meant not very fully.
As soon as he got questions that made him uncomfortable, Sessions stopped citing the Almighty and instead relied on supposedly long-standing Department of Justice rules against talking about private communications in public.As soon as he got questions that made him uncomfortable, Sessions stopped citing the Almighty and instead relied on supposedly long-standing Department of Justice rules against talking about private communications in public.
He was happy to say, for example, that he and Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, discussed firing Comey before they were confirmed. Sessions was willing to say that he and Rosenstein told Trump they were concerned about Comey’s performance (concerns he admitted he never shared with Comey). He said they were asked to put that in writing, resulting in the infamous memo by Rosenstein that suggested Comey should be shown the door because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.He was happy to say, for example, that he and Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, discussed firing Comey before they were confirmed. Sessions was willing to say that he and Rosenstein told Trump they were concerned about Comey’s performance (concerns he admitted he never shared with Comey). He said they were asked to put that in writing, resulting in the infamous memo by Rosenstein that suggested Comey should be shown the door because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
But he was not willing to talk about anything the president said to him or Rosenstein beyond that, because it would violate those rules about not talking about confidential discussions between high-ranking officials. That gave the hearing a rather surreal air at times.But he was not willing to talk about anything the president said to him or Rosenstein beyond that, because it would violate those rules about not talking about confidential discussions between high-ranking officials. That gave the hearing a rather surreal air at times.
When Senator Dianne Feinstein asked Sessions if he knew Trump had already decided to fire Comey before he spoke to Sessions and Rosenstein about it in May, Sessions said: “I would say I believe it has been made public that the president asked us our opinion and it was given and he asked us to put that in writing. I don’t know how much more he said than that,” Sessions said. “But he talked about it.”When Senator Dianne Feinstein asked Sessions if he knew Trump had already decided to fire Comey before he spoke to Sessions and Rosenstein about it in May, Sessions said: “I would say I believe it has been made public that the president asked us our opinion and it was given and he asked us to put that in writing. I don’t know how much more he said than that,” Sessions said. “But he talked about it.”
Actually, the whole world knows that Trump said, in a television interview, that he planned to fire Comey regardless of what Sessions and Rosenstein thought and that he did it because of the Russia investigation.Actually, the whole world knows that Trump said, in a television interview, that he planned to fire Comey regardless of what Sessions and Rosenstein thought and that he did it because of the Russia investigation.
I’m willing to bet that Sessions studied those comments pretty carefully. But at the hearing all he would say, more than once, was that he would let Trump’s “words speak for themselves.”I’m willing to bet that Sessions studied those comments pretty carefully. But at the hearing all he would say, more than once, was that he would let Trump’s “words speak for themselves.”
Feinstein asked whether Trump had the Russia investigation in mind when he talked to Sessions and Rosenstein about firing Comey. “I’m not sure what was in his mind explicitly when we talked to him,” Sessions replied.Feinstein asked whether Trump had the Russia investigation in mind when he talked to Sessions and Rosenstein about firing Comey. “I’m not sure what was in his mind explicitly when we talked to him,” Sessions replied.
Well, Feinstein asked, did the Russia investigation come up in the discussion about Comey? “I’m not able to comment on that” because it was a private conversation, Sessions said.Well, Feinstein asked, did the Russia investigation come up in the discussion about Comey? “I’m not able to comment on that” because it was a private conversation, Sessions said.
At another point, Sessions acknowledged that he and other top officials left the Oval Office after an intelligence briefing with Trump on Feb. 4, leaving Comey alone with the president. But he would not say whether Trump asked them all to leave. “That is a communication in the White House that I would not comment on,” Sessions said. At another point, Sessions acknowledged that he and other top officials left the Oval Office after an intelligence briefing with Trump on Feb. 14, leaving Comey alone with the president. But he would not say whether Trump asked them all to leave. “That is a communication in the White House that I would not comment on,” Sessions said.
Reminded that Comey testified that Sessions lingered in the Oval Office for a moment and seemed uncomfortable with leaving, Sessions said: “I do recall being one of the last ones to leave.” But he added: “I don’t know how that occurred.”Reminded that Comey testified that Sessions lingered in the Oval Office for a moment and seemed uncomfortable with leaving, Sessions said: “I do recall being one of the last ones to leave.” But he added: “I don’t know how that occurred.”
Sessions explained that he recused himself from the Russia investigation because Justice Department rules require that any official who was a senior adviser to a candidate in an election stay out of investigations related to that election. But when Senator Ron Wyden asked why he then signed a letter recommending that Comey be fired over the Clinton campaign email investigation, Sessions grew angry.Sessions explained that he recused himself from the Russia investigation because Justice Department rules require that any official who was a senior adviser to a candidate in an election stay out of investigations related to that election. But when Senator Ron Wyden asked why he then signed a letter recommending that Comey be fired over the Clinton campaign email investigation, Sessions grew angry.
“It did not violate my recusal,” he shouted. “It did not violate my recusal.”“It did not violate my recusal,” he shouted. “It did not violate my recusal.”
Sessions’s appearance on Tuesday cleared up almost nothing, but it did showcase his political skills. At the end of his opening statement, he said “this president wants to focus on the people of this country to ensure they are treated fairly and kept safe” and suggested that some people have “different agendas.” Then he launched into a tirade about opioid addiction and violent crime.Sessions’s appearance on Tuesday cleared up almost nothing, but it did showcase his political skills. At the end of his opening statement, he said “this president wants to focus on the people of this country to ensure they are treated fairly and kept safe” and suggested that some people have “different agendas.” Then he launched into a tirade about opioid addiction and violent crime.
Reporters covering the late Nelson Rockefeller used to call that bomfog — when Rockefeller lost track of what he was saying or ran into trouble, he’d give the people a few minutes of “brotherhood of man, fatherhood of God.”Reporters covering the late Nelson Rockefeller used to call that bomfog — when Rockefeller lost track of what he was saying or ran into trouble, he’d give the people a few minutes of “brotherhood of man, fatherhood of God.”
The sad thing is how often that works.The sad thing is how often that works.