WASHINGTON, D.C., March 2, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions on Thursday called an afternoon press conference to announce he is recusing himself any investigation into possible Russian interference in America’s 2016 presidential election.
“I should not be involved with investigating a campaign I had a role in,” Sessions said in response to a reporter’s question during the news conference.
Sessions had been asked during his confirmation hearing if he had been meeting with Russian officials during the campaign, and said he had not.
“I never had meetings with Russian operative or intermediaries for Russian government during Trump campaign,” Sessions said on Thursday, adding that “That was honest and correct as I understood it at the time.”
CNN broke the news earlier this week that Sessions had interacted, first informally and later privately, with a Russian diplomat Sergey Kislyak.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Sessions “should clarify his testimony and recuse himself.”
Sessions did just that during the news conference, saying he had discussed the situation with his staff, and all agreed that his recusing himself would be for the best. A meeting with higher officials had been scheduled for today, Sessions said.
