Thread: Congressman Says Jeff Sessions Has Recused Himself on Uranium One

Win McNamee/Getty

by KRISTINA WONG2 Nov 2017


Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a small group of lawmakers in late September he was recused from appointing a special counsel to look into potential corruption surrounding the Uranium One deal and Fusion GPS’s work on the Trump dossier, according to one of the lawmakers present.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Breitbart News on Wednesday that he and other House Judiciary Committee Republicans had met with Sessions at the Justice Department on September 28 in advance of an upcoming committee hearing with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein later this month.

Gaetz said that when he asked Sessions to appoint a special counsel to investigate the 2010 Uranium One deal and Fusion GPS, the attorney general stood up, said he could not discuss the matter because he had recused himself, and walked out of the room, leaving them with a group of Rosenstein staffers “who showed no interest.”

“He said that anything that had to do with 2016 election, or Russia, or the candidates in the 2016 election, fell under the scope of his recusal, and he left the room,” Gaetz said.

“It was Sessions’ position that his recusal on the Russia matter divorced him from any oversight on Uranium One and Fusion GPS. That’s troubling. Sessions’ recusal is a function of his involvement in the Trump campaign. In no world does that impact his judgment as it relates to Fusion GPS and Uranium One. But he views the recusal more broadly. That’s troubling because that puts Rosenstein in charge,” he said.

Gaetz said Rosenstein’s staffers provided “no answers” and “no timeline for answers.”

“It must be very frustrating for the president that the Department of Justice is overreacting to fictitious allegations and subsequently paralyzed to truly vet incursions into our nuclear assets,” he said. “Attorney General Sessions does not believe he has the power to appoint a special counsel on this matter.”

Other House members present at the meeting were Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and Louis Gohmert (R-TX).

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said others in the room do not remember Sessions saying anything like that and that the subject was “discussed.” She would not comment on whether Sessions has recused himself.

“I’ve talked to people who were in the room and they don’t remember him saying anything like this. The subject was discussed so maybe someone misconstrued what he said. I can’t comment on recusal issues though because to do so would confirm or deny the existence of an investigation,” she said in a statement to Breitbart News.

Republican pressure is mounting on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to look into the 2010 Uranium One deal and potential corruption surrounding the deal involving then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and the Clinton Foundation.

The Hill reported last month that the FBI had gathered evidence of widespread Russian bribery and a kickback scheme to grow Moscow’s nuclear energy business inside the U.S. the same time the deal — which allowed Russian firm Rosatom to purchase one-fifth of U.S. uranium assets — was allowed to go through. Lawmakers say they were not informed of the FBI’s probe at the time, which they say would have stopped the deal from going forward.

Sessions’ recusal could mean that any decision to appoint a special counsel would fall to Rosenstein.
Last week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) expressed frustration with Sessions and perhaps Rosenstein, calling on “whoever” was not recused at the Justice Department to call for a special counsel.

“Whoever in DOJ is capable w authority to appoint a special counsel shld do so to investigate Uranium One ‘whoever’ means if u aren’t recused,” he tweeted.

Sessions has so far refused to confirm publicly whether he has recused himself from the Uranium One case.


When asked by radio show host Hugh Hewitt last week if he was recused, he responded: “Well, the, you know, of course there was one case that’s already been prosecuted, and people have been sentenced on, but as to what may happen after that, if anything, I’m not able to comment.”

When asked if he was recused from any investigations into the Clinton investigation, he responded, “Yes.”
Gaetz said he was heartened by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s call for a special counsel to look into the Uranium One deal during a Fox News interview on Monday, and he and his fellow Republicans on the Judiciary Committee plan to press Sessions and Rosenstein during the upcoming hearing on the need for one.

“My expectation is that there will be very tough questions asked about why we have not pursued the Uranium One scandal with the same vigor that we’ve pursued Trump Russia allegations that so far have proven unfounded,” he said.

He said Mueller cannot lead any investigation into Uranium One since he led the FBI at the time of its investigation into the bribery scheme and at the time the Uranium One deal went through. The FBI also reportedly threatened a witness from talking to members of Congress about what he knew.

“Mueller was not a spectator to the transactions that now give us grave concern about our uranium assets,” he said.




http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...nium-one-deal/

So the most important Presidency since WWII is operating without an Attorney General. Swell.

Trump is 100% right, Sessions should have told the President he was going to recuse himself before he was nominated. No President would appoint an Attorney General who as soon as he's confirmed runs to the locker room.

What a catastrophe for our country.

Report: Attorney General Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Uranium One Investigation….

Posted on November 3, 2017 by sundance

If this stunning report is true it confirms many opinions in how AG Jeff Sessions is entirely incapable of carrying out the duty of a U.S. Attorney General. The report comes from Breitbart Media conveying information received from congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL).


According to the information from representative Gaetz, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced to members of the House Judiciary Committee he was recusing himself from anything to do with the 2016 election, Russia, or any participant or ancillary member attached to the 2016 election, including Hillary Clinton, which also includes any prior activity from any person or interest -regardless of time of occurrence- that intersects with any person, entity or individual in the sphere of the 2016 election.

Breitbart […] Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Breitbart News on Wednesday that he and other House Judiciary Committee Republicans had met with Sessions at the Justice Department on September 28 in advance of an upcoming committee hearing with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein later this month.

Gaetz said that when he asked Sessions to appoint a special counsel to investigate the 2010 Uranium One deal and Fusion GPS, the attorney general stood up, said he could not discuss the matter because he had recused himself, and walked out of the room, leaving them with a group of Rosenstein staffers “who showed no interest.”

“He said that anything that had to do with 2016 election, or Russia, or the candidates in the 2016 election, fell under the scope of his recusal, and he left the room,” Gaetz said.


“It was Sessions’ position that his recusal on the Russia matter divorced him from any oversight on Uranium One and Fusion GPS. That’s troubling. Sessions’ recusal is a function of his involvement in the Trump campaign. In no world does that impact his judgment as it relates to Fusion GPS and Uranium One. But he views the recusal more broadly. That’s troubling because that puts Rosenstein in charge,” he said.

Gaetz said Rosenstein’s staffers provided “no answers” and “no timeline for answers.” (read more)

The challenges within the outlined position of AG Sessions is that virtually everyone in Washington DC is connected, in some way, to the election of 2016 and the outcome therein. After all, DC is a political capital and all of the participants within DC are connected to politics and elections.


If AG Jeff Sessions is recusing himself from any professional & legal role within the DOJ as it pertains to anything political he’s essentially useless in the face of any political scandal or unlawful activity by any member or participant therein.


If this is indeed the position of Attorney General Jeff Sesssions he should resign from his appointment and allow someone who can fill the role to take his place. This is absurd.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com...investigation/

If AG Jeff Sessions is recusing himself from any professional & legal role within the DOJ as it pertains to anything political he’s essentially useless in the face of any political scandal or unlawful activity by any member or participant therein.

If this is indeed the position of Attorney General Jeff Sesssions he should resign from his appointment and allow someone who can fill the role to take his place. This is absurd.

It's not only absurd, it's a catastrophe if Sessions doesn't step down. What a shame, it was a mis-appointment. Sessions should have accepted the Secretary of Homeland Security position that Trump thought he was best suited for, but for some reason Sessions didn't want it, he wanted to be AG. What a total blunder. Sessions would have been great as Secretary of DHS, I wasn't sure about AG, because it had been so long since he had practiced law, at least 20 years, since he's been in the Senate. And before that he was AG of Alabama, completely different function and situation than AG of the United States.

We need a Bobby Kennedy right now, not someone running to the locker rooms at the behest of the opposition.

Oh my God, what a disaster this is.

This evening, Sean Hannity is saying that he has been told that Attorney General Sessions has not recused himself from the Uranium One situation. Greg Jarrett is a guest and he has been saying that the Attorney General must go because he will not investigate things related to Hillary Clinton and other matters. He calls for a special counsel on Uranium One and the Hillary Clinton email scandal as it relates to espionage.

Pam Bondi, Florida Attorney General, says that the Justice Department is missing in action. The justice department must get their hands on the documents. She hopes they are working on things and personally likes Jeff Sessions.

Herman Cain says that Jeff Sessions has an 11 day window to do something or there will be a "Come to Jesus" moment for him and the Justice Department. A new attorney general will not be bound by recusal or past promises. Hillary Clinton must be investigated.

Former Congressman Jason Chavetz has also said AG Sessions has refused to investigate Hillary Clinton and other matters.

Larry Klayman

@LarryEKlayman


If This Is AG Sessions' Position With Recusal on Uranium One & other Hillary Scandals He Should Resign Immediately!





Congressman Says Jeff Sessions Has Recused Himself on the Uranium One Deal
breitbart.com





6:03 PM · Nov 3, 2017



https://mobile.twitter.com/larryeklayman?lang=en

Donald J. Trump


@realDonaldTrump




....People are angry. At some point the Justice Department, and the FBI, must do what is right and proper. The American public deserves it!
7:11 AM · Nov 3, 2017

Originally Posted by Judy

So the most important Presidency since WWII is operating without an Attorney General. Swell.

Trump is 100% right, Sessions should have told the President he was going to recuse himself before he was nominated. No President would appoint an Attorney General who as soon as he's confirmed runs to the locker room.

What a catastrophe for our country.

You're allowing the ax you have to grind against Jeff Sessions cloud your judgement and ability to see everything that is going on. Why am I not surprised that you decided to take one persons word over another on this? Jeff Sessions is an honorable and ethical man and will do the right thing.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said others in the room do not remember Sessions saying anything like that and that the subject was “discussed.” She would not comment on whether Sessions has recused himself.

“I’ve talked to people who were in the room and they don’t remember him saying anything like this. The subject was discussed so maybe someone misconstrued what he said. I can’t comment on recusal issues though because to do so would confirm or deny the existence of an investigation,” she said in a statement to Breitbart News.

Jeff Sessions is doing a great job as our nations Attorney General and I hope he continues in his efforts to squash MS-13, end sanctuary cities, hire federal immigration judges, construct new policy to make their job easier, etc., etc.

You're hung up on this Russia issue because you feel AG Sessions did the wrong thing by recusing himself from anything concerning Russia and the Trump campaign. Providing cover for Trump or his family isn't the job of the Department of Justice. Sessions did the ethical thing and followed DOJ policy because he was involved in the Trump campaign.

As for telling Trump he was going to recuse himself before he was nominated ....... that's just ridiculous because it wasn't an issue at the time and Sessions didn't know at the time that it was going to become one.

Last but not least, you're jumping the gun on this because you have absolutely no knowledge of what the DOJ is doing or not doing on this. It's not their policy to divulge information on an ongoing investigation and they don't have an obligation to keep Judy or the media up to date on their actions or possible future actions.

Well, thank you for your two cents, but you are both in the wrong and in the minority on this one, a place you're finding yourself often these days, seems to me.

DOJ Sources: Sessions Has Not Recused Himself from Potential Uranium One Probe

Posted By Susan Crabtree On November 3, 2017 @ 10:40 pm Department of Justice (DOJ) sources disputed reports late Friday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from decisions involving potential investigations into alleged corruption surrounding a deal that gave Russia control of a large portion of U.S. uranium-mining capacity.


DOJ officials told the Free Beacon that Sessions has not recused himself from deciding how the Justice Department should respond to recent reports raising questions about the Obama administration’s approval of a 2010 purchase of Uranium One, which controlled 20 percent of U.S. uranium, by Russian energy company Rosatam.

Sessions, in his role as attorney general, could recommend an internal DOJ investigation into the matter or appoint an outside special counsel to handle it.

For months, President Donald Trump has blasted Sessions for recusing himself from the probe into Russian meddling in the election and Moscow’s alleged ties to the Trump campaign. Sessions’ recusal led to the appointment of former Robert Mueller as special counsel in charge of the Russia probe.

Following Mueller's first round of indictments in the Russia probe this week, Trump expressed frustration over his inability to get involved in Justice Department decisions and what investigations it launches.

On Friday morning he tweeted: "Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isn’t looking into all of the dishonesty going on with Crooked Hillary & the Dems…"

By week’s end, conservatives who support Sessions became increasingly concerned that Trump would decide to fire Sessions if the attorney general did not provide clarity about his recusal and whether he would be involved in decisions regarding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and any improper role she might have played in the Uranium One deal.

Sessions’ defenders point to his decision last week to lift a gag order on an FBI informant with detailed knowledge of a Russian bribery scheme linked to the Uranium One deal as evidence that is has not recused himself from the issue. The Obama-era DOJ had imposed the non-disclosure agreement and reportedly threatened the informant with litigation if he broke it.

Rick Manning, the president of Americans for Limited Government, a conservative nonprofit, on Friday issued a statement, saying that Sessions "is in the game" on Uranium One and knocking down reports claiming otherwise.

Manning, citing what he called an "unimpeachable source," said Sessions is on the Uranium One case.


"The fact that the attorney general ended the non-disclosure agreement for the Uranium One whistleblower provides the proof that Sessions is actively involved in the Uranium One case," he said. "Unfortunately, the attorney general cannot conduct any investigations through press releases and sound bites allowing the rest of us to receive a blow-by-blow description of every action that might be under way."

GOP lawmakers have launched their own investigations into the matter after the Hill and Circa News reported new details of an extensive Russian bribery scheme aimed at expanding Moscow’s control of U.S. nuclear energy supplies. Three congressional committees are now looking into the bribery scheme and whether it influenced then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s decision to sign off on the acquisition.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, was the first lawmaker to press the Justice Department and other federal agencies for information about the Uranium One deal, asking Sessions during an Oct. 19 hearing whether the agency was investigating the deal and the surrounding Russian bribes.

At the time, Sessions responded that it would be inappropriate to disclose whether Justice is looking into to the matter but tried to assure Grassley that his concerns would be addressed.

He also said he doubted Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be the right person to look into the matter because he had handled the prosecution of those implicated in the Russian bribery scheme while he was serving as a U.S. attorney in Maryland before he became a top DOJ official.

Last week, Grassley appeared exasperated by the lack of clarity about whether Sessions could launch an investigation into Uranium One.

"Whoever in DOJ is capable w authority to appoint a special counsel shld do so to investigate Uranium One ‘whoever’ means if u aren’t recused," he tweeted.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) said earlier this week that Sessions met with House Judiciary Committee Republicans in late September and told them that his recusal prevented any involvement in potential investigations into Uranium One or anything that involved the 2016 campaign, the candidates, or Russia.

According to a Breitbart report, when Gaetz asked Sessions to appoint a special counsel to look into the Uranium One deal, the attorney general abruptly stood up and said he couldn’t discuss the matter because of the recusal and left the room.

That left the House Judiciary Republicans with a group of aides to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who Gaetz said showed "no interest" in discussing a potential Uranium One Justice Department investigation.
Gaetz said Sessions’ "broad" interpretation of the recusal puts Rosenstein in charge, which he called "troubling."

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R., Va.), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, as well as Reps. Ron DeSantis, (R., Fla.), Louis Gohmert, (R., Texas), and Jim Jordan, (R., Ohio), all members of the panel, also were at the late September meeting with Sessions.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores earlier this week said she did not believe that others remembered Sessions making the statements about his recusal that Gaetz claimed but would not comment directly or not about whether Sessions was recused from the Uranium One issue.

Sessions, an early Trump supporter and frequent campaign surrogate, in early March recused himself from any Department of Justice investigations into President Trump’s campaign and any alleged ties to Russia. It is unclear, however, how far the recusal extended.

The recusal came after a storm of criticism over Sessions’ failure to disclose two instances in which he met Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, during his Senate confirmation hearings.

Trump and other Republicans pushed back, pointing to numerous contacts Kislyak had with high-profile Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and several Democratic senators.

The Hill newspaper and Circa News reported new details of a sweeping multimillion dollar racketeering scheme by Russian nuclear officials on U.S. soil that involved "bribery, kickbacks, money laundering and extortion."

The report indicated that an FBI informant had information that FBI agents suggested that political pressure was exerted during the Justice Department probe of the bribery scheme and that there was specific evidence that could have scuttled approval of the Uranium One deal.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) approved the controversial Uranium One deal in 2010. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-Attorney General Eric Holder served on CFIUS at the time the agency approved the deal. She has said she knew nothing about the Russian racketeering.

Grassley and other GOP lawmakers have questioned the propriety of millions of dollars the Clinton Foundation received from "interested parties" in the uranium deal and have highlighted a $500,000 payment Bill Clinton received for a speech in Moscow before a Russian-government aligned bank. That speech took place the same month the Russians began the process of acquiring Uranium One.


http://freebeacon.com/politics/doj-s...ium-one-probe/