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Highlights: AG Sessions Testifies Before Senate Intel Committee

Highlights: AG Sessions Testifies Before Senate Intel Committee

Sessions calls the collusion allegation an “appalling and detestable lie”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxjLFHsuflg

Tuesday, Attorney General Sessions testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee to answer questions about former FBI Director Comey and Russia. The hearing began at 2:30 EST.

We updated this post real-time during the hearing, so you’ll find highlights in sequential order.

Complete opening statement:

Sessions says he does not recall any meeting with Russian officials regarding the Trump campaign or the 2016 election at the Mayflower Hotel:

Sessions calls the collusion allegation an “appalling and detestable lie”:

On why he chose to recuse himself:

Though he fully plans to defend the honor of his reputation:

Neither is he working with Special Counselor Mueller:

Sessions never spoke with Comey about his job performance at the FBI:

On the question of whether Sessions did in fact linger after a meeting with Trump:

Sessions also said if Comey felt he was being improperly pressured by Trump, he could’ve brought his complaint to Sessions himself or the Deputy AG.

Today’s spicy segment brought to you by Sen. Wyden (D-OR):

FINALLY, the question America really wants answered: Does the AG enjoy spy fiction?

Learks beware:

Kamala Harris was asked to behave once again:

California’s Junior Senator is the only member of the Senate Intel Committee who consistently refused to allow AG Sessions to finish answering her questions before moving on to the next question. She still hasn’t learned she’s on a Senate Committee conducting a hearing, not in a courtroom. It’s almost like she was hoping to cut Sessions off in order to elicit a very particular response. Sessions would have none of it. Harris might be likeable if she didn’t come off as desperate to prove herself tough. It’s a tired, unnecessary schtick.

The “Harris was silenced!” crowd neglects to note that another woman on the committee, Sen. Feinstein, has not been silenced. Unlike Harris, Feinstein has treated witnesses with respect rather than contempt.

FBI Leadership:

Political media reaction:


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Comments

I like how strong Sessions started. He sounds ready to go. Very good. How many days of this do we have?

    Sessions had the Dems in a pickle on the very first question about why he recused himself. He pointed out that there is an FRC rule prohibiting federal officials (that may not be precise) from participating in investigations involving friends or associates. He was now not only bullet-proof on that topic, he also laid the groundwork for why Mueller should also recuse himself.

    About the only thing I think the anti-Trumpers may have gained was a video of Sessions being badgered for obstructing by “refusing to answer questions” about personal conversations with Comey. “They didn’t take place!” was not an acceptable answer.

    I think Sessions did a great job. Now it’s up to Trump to end this witch hunt by firing Mueller and then demanding air time from the networks (a courtesy routinely extended to presidents) to explain why directly to the people. Make a big production of it so that when they say “no”, he can state “Thank God for Twitter. Otherwise, I would be the first POTUS prevented from speaking directly to the American citizens.”d

      notamemberofanyorganizedpolicital in reply to Pasadena Phil. | June 13, 2017 at 8:25 pm

      AMEN!

      DaveGinOly in reply to Pasadena Phil. | June 13, 2017 at 10:21 pm

      Trump could easily get the time. He should let it leak that he intends to announce the firing of Mueller. The next day, he should ask for airtime. The networks will know what the announcement is for and will gladly give it to him, believing Trump is about to hang himself live on national TV. He can use the airtime to announce the firing, and explaining the need and the law authorizing him to do so. If he fires Mueller first (off-air) and then asks for time to inform the people about the decision, he’s unlikely to get what he asks for, the networks won’t allow him to provide an explanation that counters “The Narrative.”

Wow. Sessions just gave it to Wyden.

healthguyfsu | June 13, 2017 at 4:05 pm

Media will downplay Sessions’ testimony because it will only undermine their ratings-whore narrative.

People have mostly forgotten, but when Wyden was first running for Congress, he was unable to answer a reporters’ questions regarding the price of milk/bread/ground beef in the supermarket, or identify Bosnia on the map (although we were bombing them at the time). Typical liberal…

Kamala Harris get told to let the witness answer yet again,
and runs out of time.

    Maybe K. Harris loves the sound of her own voice…and if lets the witness answer…WE The People be denied the thrill of hearing her yak, yak, yak….?

      AmandaFitz in reply to tgrondo. | June 13, 2017 at 6:03 pm

      Kamala Harris could not care less about letting this or ANY witness answer her questions. She only wants to hear herself “opine” and I’m sure she will be vying with Senator Gillibrand for the first place ribbon for “Foolish Female Politicians Who Think They’re Smarter Than They Are.”

    Valerie in reply to Neo. | June 13, 2017 at 9:19 pm

    What struck me is that this bleeding amateur asked him whether he had asked for a copy of the policy relating to confidentiality of Presidential conversations.

PersonFromPorlock | June 13, 2017 at 5:47 pm

“Sessions’ desperate denials raise questions about the hold the Russians have on him, experts say….”

Jackson Browne: “Lawyers In Love”

I can’t keep up with what’s been going on
I think my heart must just be slowing down
Among the human beings in their designer jeans
Am I the only one who hears the screams
And the strangled cries of lawyers in love

God sends his spaceships to America, the beautiful
They land at six o’clock and there we are, the dutiful
Eating from TV trays, tuned into to Happy Days
Waiting for World War III while Jesus slaves
To the mating calls of lawyers in love

Last night I watched the news from Washington, the capitol
The Russians escaped while we weren’t watching them, like Russians will
Now we’ve got all this room, we’ve even got the moon
And I hear the U.S.S.R. will be open soon
As vacation land for lawyers in love