Even Republican Lawmakers Are Asking Jeff Sessions to Recuse Himself from Russia Investigations
Photos by Pool/Getty, Zach Gibson/Getty Politics News Jeff Sessions
The Trump administration’s continuing Russia problem hasn’t gotten any better, as top Republican lawmakers are now calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any investigations into contact between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.
Such calls come after news that Attorney General Sessions met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in 2016, which contradicts Sessions’ testimony at his confirmation hearing where he said: “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign, and I didn’t have — did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment on it.”
In the light of that news on this still-murky issue, Republicans such as House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz (Utah) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) have called for Sessions to recuse himself:
AG Sessions should clarify his testimony and recuse himself
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) March 2, 2017
Rep. Kevin McCarthy – House GOP No. 2 – on Sessions: “I think in the trust of the American people, you recuse yourself in these situations.”
— David Wright (@DavidWright_CNN) March 2, 2017
McCarthy’s statements came on Morning Joe (a favorite of the Trump administration) and he added that: “For any investigation going forward, you want to make sure everybody trusts the investigation.”
But McCarthy’s already walking the statement back—he said on Fox and Friends an hour later: “I’m not calling on him to recuse himself,” and then proclaimed that “it’s amazing how people spin things so quickly.”
Not surprisingly, top Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) have gone further and said that Sessions “is not fit to serve as the top law enforcement officer of our country and must resign.”
Such a resignation is unlikely to occur, given that Sessions alleges he didn’t address election matters with Kislyak, but the entire issue is yet another flare-up in the Russian blaze steadily engulfing the administration.