Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday both called for Sessions to step down. Sen Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), however, stopped short of calling for Sessions’ departure. He said instead that it’s “crystal clear” Sessions must recuse himself from any investigation of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election.
The Washington Post on Wednesday reported that Sessions met at least twice with the Russian ambassador to the United States last year, despite saying otherwise in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing in January.
In a written statement, Sanders called it “deeply disturbing” that Sessions “falsely denied having met with the Russian ambassador,” and concluded that Sessions must resign and a special prosecutor be appointed to conduct an impartial investigation.
Welch posted a brief statement on his Facebook page saying that Sessions, “while under oath, at best misled the Senate Judiciary Committee … [and] at worst, he committed perjury.” He called on Sessions to resign “immediately.”
Leahy is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which conducted Sessions’ confirmation hearings. Sessions failed to disclose his Russian contacts under questioning from Leahy and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.).
Leahy posed the question in a written inquiry to Sessions.
“Several of the president-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties,” he wrote. “Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?”
Sessions’ one-word reply: “No.”
“Of course I’m furious that he did not appear to tell the truth in answer to my question or Sen. Franken’s,” Leahy said during a Thursday interview on MSNBC. “But the bigger question is, what is Russia doing? That’s the issue. And Attorney General Sessions is not — is not — answering that issue.”
While Leahy would not call for Sessions’ resignation, he was absolutely clear on the need for Sessions to step aside from any investigation.
“Recusal is not optional here,” he said in a speech on the Senate floor Thursday morning. “It is required by very clear Justice Department regulations. And it is required in order to maintain a semblance of integrity in this investigation.”
Some congressional Republicans have joined the call for recusal, while others insist that Sessions did nothing wrong. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Sessions’ meetings with the Russian ambassador a “nothing burger” — though he might want to check with former governor Peter Shumlin about the consequences of that particular phrase.
Vermont’s congressional delegation is in the minority; any real action on Sessions will depend more on the rising tide of criticism and how Republicans respond to it than on impassioned statements from members of the Democratic caucus.
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“Several of the president-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties,” he wrote. “Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?”
The key words and context in Leahy’s poorly worded question are …”ABOUT THE 2016 ELECTION’ …and the truthful response by Sessions was No, as he did not speak ‘about 2016 election’ with the Russian Ambassador..
The two meetings Sessions had with the Russian Ambassador staffer present (not the Ambassador himself) during the election cycle as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee took place in his Senate office with a roomful of other people present and the discussion pertained to committee issues.
Furthermore, the line of questioning with Senator Franken, that is also being ballyhooed as a perjured answer, was also asked and given in the context of the Russians ‘meddling in the election’ and Sessions being considered as a ‘surrogate of the Trump campaign’ and again he answered truthfully when he said ‘ No’ as his interaction with the Russian Ambassador was in his role as Chair of the Armed Services Committee, not as a surrogate of the Trump campaign, and again, the discussion did not concern the campaign.
It would only behoove AG Sessions to recuse himself at this point so that his truthful responses can be bared out by people not under his control.
Unfortunately both parties engage in this kind of illegal sell out to foreign interests all the time. Reagan and Bush, Sr. extending the Iran-Hostage crisis to win in 1980. Bush, Sr. deserved to lose in 1992 solely because of his unethical, illegal actions with Iran-Contra. And yet, there Bill Clinton was just a few years later, taking illegal money from the Chinese for his reelection.
Let’s go back and see what Senator Leahy said in the news when Bill Clinton was caught accepting illegal campaign financing from the Chinese and Indonesians for the 1996 election. And actually changed legislation as a quid pro quo for that financing (i.e., as reported by the Boston Globe, dropping his commitment to the Barbara Jordan Democrats for chain migration reform).
At least there was an Independent Special Prosecutor for Iran-Contra. Conveniently, Janet Reno’s DOJ “investigation” decided there was not enough evidence to prosecute her fellow Democrat and then she & Clinton further refused the request from FBI Director Louis Freeh for an Independent Special Prosecutor.
Just wish there were some ethical politicians who consistently put country before party but I guess ethical politician is an oxymoron.
I find it very disgusting that Peter Welch, Bernie Sanders and Pat Leahy jump on the bandwagon condemning anything to do with the Republican Party without honestly looking at the circumstances. Yet they choose to ignore what the Democratic party has done and condemning them as well
I am really upset at least 3 people that supposedly represent the state of Vermont Inn Washington DC..
I have called in several questions to all three of these people but unless you hop on the bandwagon that represents their agenda they refuse to answer your questions.
It is time to dump this kind of representation