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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 15 november 2017
Sessions denies

Continued from Front election meddling after business transaction that
acknowledging two previ- Trump himself has railed
“After reading his account ously undisclosed encoun- against, repeatedly chal-
and to the best of my rec- ters during the campaign lenged the underpinnings
ollection,” Sessions told the with the Russian ambassa- of Mueller’s investigation.
House Judiciary Commit- dor to the United States. Democrats grilled him on
tee, “I believe that I want- Questions for Sessions have the evolving explanations
ed to make clear to him only deepened since the about how much he knew
that he was not authorized guilty plea last month of of communication during
to represent the campaign Papadopoulos and recent the campaign between
with the Russian govern- statements to congressio- Trump associates and Rus-
ment or any other foreign nal investigators by anoth- sian government interme-
government for that mat- er foreign policy adviser, diaries. Mary Sessions, left, listens as her husband Attorney General Jeff
ter. Carter Page, who has said A day earlier, the Justice Sessions speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing
“But I did not recall this he alerted Sessions last year Department said Sessions on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 in Washington.
Associated Press
event, which occurred 18 about a trip he planned to had directed federal pros-
months before my testimo- take to Russia during the ecutors to look into wheth- that any such review would “And I have not been im-
ny of a few weeks ago,” campaign. Sessions insisted er a special counsel might be done without regard to properly influenced and
he added, “and I would Tuesday that he did not re- be merited to investigate political considerations. would not be improperly in-
gladly have reported it had call that conversation with allegations that the Clin- “A president cannot im- fluenced,” he added. “The
I remembered it because I Page at all and appeared ton Foundation benefited properly influence an inves- president speaks his mind.
pushed back against his incredulous at times that from a uranium transac- tigation,” Sessions said in He’s bold and direct about
suggestion that I thought he could be expected to tion involving a Russia- response to questions from what he says, but people
may have been improper.” remember the details of backed company during the committee’s top Dem- elected him. But we do our
Papadopoulos was arrest- conversations from more the Obama administration. ocrat, Rep. John Conyers duty every day based on
ed by the FBI and plead- than a year ago. On Tuesday, Sessions said of Michigan. the law and the facts.”q
ed guilty last month to ly- “In all of my testimony, I
ing to authorities about can only do my best to an-
his own foreign contacts swer all of your questions as
during the campaign. I understand them and to
That guilty plea came in a the best of my memory,”
wide-ranging criminal in- Sessions told the House Ju-
vestigation led by former diciary Committee. “But I
FBI Director Robert Mueller, will not accept, and reject,
who as the Justice Depart- accusations that I have
ment’s special counsel is ever lied. That is a lie.”
looking into whether the Sessions insisted that his sto-
Trump campaign coordi- ry had never changed and
nated with Russia to sway that he had never been
the outcome of the 2016 dishonest. But he also sug-
presidential election and gested to the committee
into whether the firing of that it was unfair to expect
James Comey as FBI direc- him to recall “who said
tor was an effort to obstruct what when” during the
justice.During the Trump campaign.
campaign, Sessions, then “It was a brilliant cam-
an Alabama senator, led paign, I think, in many ways,
a campaign foreign policy but it was a form of chaos
advisory council on which every day from day one,”
Papadopolous served. Sessions said. “We traveled
The attorney general has some times to several plac-
struggled since January to es in one day. Sleep was in
move past questions about short supply and I was still
his own foreign contacts a full-time senator ... with a
and about his knowledge very full schedule.”
of Russian outreach efforts The oversight hearing di-
during the election effort. vided along stark partisan
Each congressional hear- lines.
ing, including Tuesday’s, Republicans, buoyed by
has focused on Sessions’ the announcement a day
own recollections, and he earlier that the Justice De-
recused himself in March partment might be open
from the Justice Depart- to a new special counsel to
ment’s investigation into investigate an Obama-era