UPDATED: Sessions: 'No clear recollection' of Papadopoulos proposing Trump-Putin meeting
Source: Politico
By POLITICO STAFF 11/14/2017 10:47 AM EST
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday he has "no clear recollection" of what was said at a session at which a Trump campaign associate, George Papadopoulos, proposed organizing a meeting between then-candidate Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sessions said, however, that he believes he rejected the suggested meeting with Putin.
"I believe that I wanted to make clear to him that he was not authorized to represent the campaign with the Russian government, or any other foreign government, for that matter," Sessions told the House judiciary committee. "But I did not recall this event, which occurred 18 months before my testimony of a few weeks ago, and would gladly have reported it."
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last month to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia-linked people.
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Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/14/sessions-no-clear-recollection-of-papadopoulos-proposing-trump-putin-meeting-244881
UPDATE
Sessions says he always told the truth in describing Russia contacts
By Matt Zapotosky and Sari Horwitz November 14 at 10:49 AM
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that he has always told the truth in describing his knowledge of Trump campaign contacts with Russians though he acknowledged he now recalls an interaction with a lower-level Trump adviser who has said he told Sessions about contacts who could help arrange a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When asked previously about whether he believed surrogates from the Trump campaign had communications with the Russians, Sessions said, speaking before the House Judiciary Committee. I did not, and Im not aware of anyone else that did, and I dont believe it happened.
Now, Sessions said he recalled a March 2016 meeting with Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos, in pleading guilty to lying to FBI agents, has admitted he told Trump and a group of other campaign officials, including Sessions, that he had contacts who could help arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin.
I do now recall the March 2016 meeting at Trump Hotel that Mr. Papadopoulos attended, but I have no clear recollection of the details of what he said at that meeting, Sessions said. After reading his account, and to the best of my recollection, I believe that I wanted to make clear to him that he was not authorized to represent the campaign with the Russian government, or any other foreign government, for that matter. But I did not recall this event, which occurred 18 months before my testimony of a few weeks ago, and I would gladly have reported it had I remembered it because I pushed back against his suggestion that I thought may have been improper.
The House committees top Democrat vowed to press him about his and other former Trump campaign aides dealings with Russians leading up to the 2016 election. In his opening statement, U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) went through Sessionss public statements on Russia-related matters, highlighting instances in which what Sessions said did not comport with other evidence.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-likely-to-be-questioned-about-trump-campaign-dealings-with-russians-at-house-judiciary-hearing/2017/11/13/bc20b7fc-c894-11e7-aa96-54417592cf72_story.html
titaniumsalute
(4,742 posts)Then maybe he's too senile to continue as Attorney General.
bagelsforbreakfast
(1,427 posts)NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)that will fire Rosenstein and Mueller.
KPN
(15,650 posts)Shouldn't at least one Dem on the committee make that point during today's hearing? I hope so. It really does raise that obvious question about basic competence with regard to performing the job, no?
marylandblue
(12,344 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)It almost seems as if he's saying "I said 'no', but I'm not sure what I said 'no' to."
FakeNoose
(32,748 posts)This is only the beginning, Sessions!
itcfish
(1,828 posts)recollection?
Botany
(70,581 posts)"no clear recollection" = of course it happened
Sessions says he, "always told the truth in describing Russia contacts ...."
malthaussen
(17,216 posts)... didn't help a lot then.
-- Mal
GeorgeGist
(25,323 posts)KewlKat
(5,624 posts)mpcamb
(2,875 posts)The word 'clear' acts as a qualifier, if your intent is to lie your worthless butt off.
Keep asking till it's out and out lying.
VaBchTgerLily
(231 posts)wouldn't any one else be in serious shit by now????
bluestarone
(17,030 posts)if you reach 1000 then you get another 1000 then if you reach that you go UNLIMITED (Rthugs rule ONLY THO)
bluestarone
(17,030 posts)ignorance is no excuse to break the law What a dumb fuck
YessirAtsaFact
(2,064 posts)?