US attorney general Jeff Sessions has rejected any suggestion he colluded with Russia, as he became the latest high-profile figure to appear before the senate intelligence committee in Washington.
“The suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for over 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie,” the former senator told the committee in his opening statement.
But Mr Sessions declined to answer repeated questions from Democrats about his conversations with US president Donald Trump.
“I am not able to discuss with you or confirm or deny the nature of private conversations that I may have had with the president on this subject or others,” Mr Sessions said, saying it was up to the president to assert executive privilege.
“I am protecting the right of the president to assert it if he chooses, and there may be other privileges that apply,” he said.
The attorney general faced several questions about his knowledge and involvement in Russian interference in the election.
Mr Sessions, whose appearance came five days after ousted FBI chief James Comey testified publicly, said he did not recall meeting the Russian ambassador to the US at an event in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington in April last year that was attended by the US president, as claimed by recent media reports.
Mr Sessions was revealed to have met the Russian ambassador twice last year, meetings he did not disclose during the senate confirmation hearing approving his appointment. As a result he recused himself from any investigations into Russia in March. “I felt that I was required to under the rules of the Department of Justice,” he told the committee on Tuesday, adding that he gradually realised he would have to step aside. But he denied that a third undisclosed meeting at the Mayflower took place.
As expected, Mr Sessions also addressed a claim by Mr Comey during his testimony to the committee last week that he had expressed his concern about a meeting with Mr Trump on February 14th to the attorney general but that Mr Sessions had not replied. Mr Sessions said that he recalled he had agreed with Mr Comey about the need to follow proper communications protocols between the White house and justice officials.
Under questioning by Democratic senators as to why he wrote a letter that was used to justify Mr Comey’s firing when he was supposed to have recused himself from all investigations involving Russia, Mr Sessions said that his involvement in the firing of Mr Comey “did not violate my recusal”.
"The recusal involved one case in the Department of Justice. I'm the attorney general of the Untied States," he said, adding: "I think it's my responsibility."
He said that he and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein had been asked by Mr Trump for their views on Mr Comey, which focused on his handling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal and which were then published by the White House as the initial justification for his sacking. Mr Trump later cited "the Russia thing" as one of the reasons for firing Mr Comey.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Mr Sessions underscored his belief that Mr Comey should have been fired, claiming that a “fresh start” was needed at the FBI and describing Mr Comey’s intervention during the election campaign as “stunning”. Mr Comey’s actions represented an “usurpation of the authority of the federal prosecutors in the Department of Justice,” he said.
Asked if he had confidence in Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed to lead the Russia investigation, Mr Sessions replied: “I have confidence in Mr Mueller but I am not going to discuss any hypotheticals.” He said he had “no idea” if Mr Trump had confidence in Mr Mueller, adding that he had not discussed the matter with the president. Mr Sessions was questioned on the matter following a suggestion by a friend of Mr Trump, Christopher Ruddy, that the president may be considering firing the special counsel who was appointed by the deputy attorney general to oversee the Russian investigation.
