Thread: Sessions fires back at Comey, amid recusal questions

Sessions fires back at Comey, amid recusal questions

By Brooke Singman
Published June 09, 2017

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is firing back at former FBI Director James Comey, after he suggested in Thursday's hearing that there might be more than meets the eye to the AG's recusal from the Russia probe.

Sessions recused himself from “any existing or future investigations” regarding the 2016 presidential race in early March, after facing bipartisan pressure to step aside from the probe due to his involvement with the Trump campaign.

But in his long-awaited testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Comey told lawmakers he believed it was “inevitable” that Sessions would recuse himself from Russia probe.

“We also were aware of facts that I can’t discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic,” Comey said.

The Department of Justice, however, issued a statement standing by the original explanation.

Spokesman Ian Prior said Sessions "began consulting with career Department of Justice ethics officials to determine whether he should recuse himself" shortly after taking office.

The DOJ said Sessions’ discussions with ethics officials were focused on a regulation that prohibits DOJ attorneys from participating in investigations that involve “entities or individuals” with whom the person has a “political or personal relationship.”

"Given Attorney General Sessions’ participation in President Trump’s campaign, it was for that reason, and that reason alone” Sessions made the March 2 decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, Prior said.

In the wake of Comey's testimony, Sessions already is facing scrutiny from Democrats interested in hearing from him next. And with the AG already scheduled to testify before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, lawmakers are preparing to head into Russia territory.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., top Democrat on the appropriations committee, specifically cited Comey's recusal comments in a statement Thursday: "Former Director Comey testified today that he expected the Attorney General to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, weeks before the Attorney General made that decision himself, because of matters that could not be discussed publicly. This raises even more questions about the Attorney General’s actions."

The DOJ, meanwhile, took issue Thursday with several parts of Comey's testimony.

Comey also had testified that he was “not aware” of any memorandum sent to the FBI on behalf of the DOJ providing information as to why Sessions recused himself.

But on Thursday night, the DOJ released the email sent by Chief of Staff Jody Hunt to then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente, Comey and others. The DOJ said the email was sent "specifically informing Mr. Comey and other relevant Department officials of the recusal and its parameters."

Hunt's email said: "You should instruct members of your staff not to brief the Attorney General" on related matters.

Tuesday's hearing, meanwhile, is likely to delve into Sessions' past contacts with Russian officials, something Leahy also mentioned in his statement after Comey testified.

During his January confirmation hearing, Sessions told Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., that he “did not have communications with the Russians.” But as first reported by The Washington Post, Sessions spoke twice last year with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak—once in July at a Heritage Foundation event on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention, and another in then-Sen. Sessions’ office.

Justice Department officials said that Sessions met with ambassadors in his capacity as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

According to a schedule provided to Fox News, Sessions met with numerous ambassadors from April 14, 2016 through Nov. 11, 2016. Russia appeared on the schedule only once.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017...questions.html

“We also were aware of facts that I can’t discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic,” Comey said.

This is the evil of the FBI. What facts about Jeff Sessions can't they discuss with the American People? NOTHING. There are no facts about Sessions that couldn't be discussed in open setting. This is an attempt to slander Sessions, to create a "cloud", a suspicion, to imply the sinister, some illegality, some collusion, some something that is so bad it can't be discussed on Tee Vee under oath.

Rowenstein, you were played by Comey. It's time to bring the hammer down on this freak.

The DOJ said Sessions’ discussions with ethics officials were focused on a regulation that prohibits DOJ attorneys from participating in investigations that involve “entities or individuals” with whom the person has a “political or personal relationship.”

Yes, and that same rule applies to Special Counsels and Mueller and Comey have a a personal relationship. That means Mueller has to recuse himself because Comey is going to be involved in this investigation. He may likely be the only indictment of the Special Counsel in the "Russian investigation".

Trump had figured out that Comey was the leaker, and possibly played an even larger role in the Russian Interference hoax. That's why he baited him with the Tweet. Comey hates Trump because he knows Trump is smarter than he is, Comey figured that out in his first private meeting with Trump as so many people do, and Trump now has Comey by the you know what's, the complete opposite of where Comey had hoped to be by now.

Comey has lost the respect of the FBI by now, except his little rogue-mole unit that spies on Americans for political purposes. But they're going to be running for cover themselves and quickly I would say.

There's no question that the FBI is in disarray. They've leaked some fabricated planted information about Sessions at the Mayflower Hotel, attending Trump's foreign policy speech at a VIP fund-raiser of some type for the campaign.

The IG needs to immediately investigate who leaked it, who unmasked Sessions in the "intercept", who approved it, who is doing this? Who is spying on our political campaigns, political fund-raising events, people who attend the events, this has to stop and the people who have done this need to go to jail for a very very long time.

Comey needs to be locked-up. He's crazy and dangerous.

Trump, Sessions and Rosenstein need to shut it all down and open a different investigation, an investigation not of Russia, but of the FBI and our INTEL community. They are violating laws and Constitution. These people need big-time prosecutions and long prison sentences.