President Trump's Attorney General Is 'Under The Fire' For Not Disclosing That He Met The Russian Ambassador During The Election Campaign

Washington Post: Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose


Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) spoke twice last year with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Justice Department officials said, encounters he did not disclose when asked about possible contacts between members of President Trump’s campaign and representatives of Moscow during Sessions’s confirmation hearing to become attorney general.

One of the meetings was a private conversation between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that took place in September in the senator’s office, at the height of what U.S. intelligence officials say was a Russian cyber campaign to upend the U.S. presidential race.

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WNU Editor: There are a lot of things that President Trumps' opponents can go after .... but this one is not it. Attorney General Sessions met the Russian Ambassador at a Heritage event .... he also met about 50 other ambassadors at this event. This is normal procedure. When I was a diplomat (albeit a minor one) .... part of my job description was to meet everyone .... and I did ... including literally the entire U.S. diplomatic corp in China in the 1980s .... and all we talked about was the weather, families, and living in China. As for this media and political attention on Attorney General Sessions meeting the Russian Ambassador thereby contradicting his Senate testimony .... I listened to the whole thing in his Q&A with Senator Franken (see above video) .... the question and answer was pertaining to a former British intelligence official's claim that the Kremlin had incriminating information on Donald Trump (prostitutes and golden showers) .... and Sessions was clearly focused on answering the question in its proper context .... no political-campaign discussions were made. Should Sessions have made his answer clearer .... maybe. Is this perjury .... not even close. Is this going to become a political and media spectacle .... definitely. Will this hurt the President .... no. And as for media and Democrats now making calls to have a massive investigation .... I say investigate what ..... reported  allegations where no one has provided any proof?!?!?! Even President Obama does not understand why there is so much attention on this story as he said in this December interview .... Barack Obama tells The Daily Show's Trevor Noah that Russian hacking was no 'big surprise' (The Telegraph).

.... Mr Obama said Russian involvement in the hacking was no "big surprise" and that the real question should be how did "fairly routine" hacked emails receive more attention than any policy and become the "overwhelming story and constant source of breathless coverage."

And he (President Obama) is correct .... the Russians (and the former Soviet Union) have always tried to influence elections. But the idea that the Russians hacked last year's November election that resulted in Donald Trump becoming President .... saying that this is bizarre and preposterous will be a polite choice of words.

So why the fuss ... especially today .... IMHO it all involves de-ligitimizing President Trump's election victory .... doubly so after his successful speech to Congress this Tuesday which shocked many of his opponents. As I had mentioned more than once since the election .... Washington is in panic mode .... because they know that President Trump is determined to dismantle the role and power that Washington has accumulated over the past few decades. And their response has been typical and predictable ..... smear, attack, block, and condemn .... and doing things like this .... Obama officials raced to spread and preserve communications between Trump associates and Russians (Daily Mail). And the reason why for this anti-Trump strategy is simple .... they have nothing else. They do not have the numbers in the House or Senate to stop President Trump. They cannot stop his legislation. They cannot stop his Supreme Court pick(s). They cannot stop anything. So .... allegations and accusations is what they have .... and calls for an investigation ..... because they have no evidence. If I may repeat what I have said multiple times .... after a year of this story making the rounds .... there are still NO links or evidence of Trump officials talking with Russian officials on matters directly pertaining  to the Presidential election .... all that I have heard are anonymous sources hinting of allegations that need to be investigated. This reminds me of McCarthyism in its ugliest form .... smearing good and honourable people over allegations and innuendo ... sighhh .... and here is an easy prediction .... this smearing of President Trump's closest confidants with allegations and innuendo is only going to intensify.

President Trump's Attorney General Sessions "Under Fire" For Not Disclosing That He Met The Russian Ambassador During the Election Campaign

Calls grow for Sessions to withdraw from Russia probe -- AP
U.S. attorney general faces storm over meetings with Russian ambassador -- Reuters
Justice Dept: Sessions spoke with Russian ambassador in 2016 -- AP
Sessions did not disclose meetings with Russian ambassador -- CNN
Sessions Faces Growing Pressure to Resign or Remove Himself from Trump-Russia Probe -- VOA
Donald Trump's US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions called on to resign after undisclosed talks with Russian ambassador -- ABC news
Reports: US Attorney General Sessions did not disclose meetings with Russian envoy during confirmation hearing -- DW
Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions urged to step aside from Russia probe -- BBC
Sessions did not disclose meetings with Russian ambassador during Trump campaign -- The Guardian
Lindsey Graham: Sessions should recuse himself from Trump-Russia investigation -- Washington Examiner
Key GOP lawmakers call for Sessions to recuse himself over Russia ties -- Defense News
'Sessions lied': Top Democrat calls for US Attorney General to resign over alleged Russia ties -- RT
Russian contact under scrutiny: Who will decide US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions' fate? -- ABC News Online
Timeline of Jeff Sessions' connections with the Russian ambassador -- ABC News

Update: Some Republicans are .... not surprising .... calling for Attorney General Sessions to rescind himself from any Russian probe .... Top Republicans call on Sessions to recuse himself from Russia investigation (Washington Post). This is so typical of the "old" Republican Party .... some of them can never stop eating their own. More here .... Key Republicans Ask Jeff Sessions to Recuse Himself in Russia Case (NYT)

Update #2: The Kremlin does not understand what the fuss is all about .... Russian Embassy brushes aside Sessions contact allegation (RT).

Update #3: Russian President Putin wades in .... Kremlin: Sessions controversy an impediment to new relations (AP).

Update #4: President Trump responds .... Trump has 'total confidence' in attorney general amid calls for Sessions's resignation (CBC/Reuters).

Update #5: His Senate supporters (both Republicans and Democrats) are now stepping up .... Sessions gets boost from Senate allies – and Dem’s Twitter flub – amid Russia uproar (FOX News).

Update #6: They (the Democrats) are now over-playing their hand .... Dems demand FBI perjury probe of Sessions (Hill)