Democratic senator calls for independent investigation into Sessions

Record ID: 348019

  • Title: Democratic senator calls for independent investigation into Sessions
  • Date: 2nd March 2017
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 2, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATOR BEN CARDIN, DEMOCRAT FROM MARYLAND, SAYING: (Responding to reporter's question on whether Sessions should resign) "I am not at that point yet. Where I do wanted to have is an explanation of what happened at that meeting. I think we need to know that. We need a complete investigation. Ev
  • Embargoed: 16th March 2017 16:15
  • Keywords: Russia Sessions McCain Cardin Trump
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001669Q05J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Some senators on Capitol Hill offered mixed reactions to news that Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during a Senate testimony, had not revealed his conversations with the Russian ambassador prior to the U.S. presidential elections.
    Maryland Senator Ben Cardin joined the chorus of calls urging Sessions to recuse himself from an investigation into whether Russia meddled in the elections and called for an independent investigation.
    "We need a complete investigation. Everyday there is more reasons why an independent commission needs to be established as to what happened between Russia and the United States. We had the episode of - in regards-to the National Security Advisor, now we have the Attorney General. There is more and more problems here that require an independent commission to determine exactly what happened between Russia and the United States," Cardin said on Thursday (March 2).
    Senator John McCain, who also serves as the chairman of the Armed Services Committee of which Sessions was a member, told reporters he didn't know enough to make a definitive comment.
    The two meetings with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, first reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday evening, were confirmed by the Justice Department, which said there was nothing untoward in the encounters.
    During sworn testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Sessions responded to a question from Democratic Senator Al Franken that he did not "have communications with the Russians" during the course of the presidential campaign.
    U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia hacked and leaked Democratic emails during the election campaign as part of an effort to tilt the vote in Trump's favour.
    Allegations over contacts between Trump aides and Russia before his inauguration, and the charge of Russian interference, have swirled around the early days of Trump's presidency. Trump, who frequently called during his campaign for better ties with Russia, has accused former officials in the administration of former Democratic President Barack Obama of trying to discredit him.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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