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WP: Sessions Met with Russia Twice Last Year, Didn't Disclose During Confirmation

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David H Wong said:
Why isn't this a valid defense? If he's required to do it in his role as a Senator, and the question at the hearing was if he did it in his role as part of the Trump campaign (thus the reference to being a "Surrogate") then it does in fact come down to the nature of the conversation, doesn't it?

The reason so many of us are less optimistic is because people can't resist jumping to crazy conclusions. Talking to an ambassador from another country isn't treason, that's what they're here for. As far as I understand, the question is was he doing it as a surrogate for Trump or as part of armed services committee business.

I spent eight years watching Republicans try to dance on Obama's grave ("This testimony about Benghazi will have him in jail by March!") and I always thought it was hilarious. But I'm seeing a lot of the same thing here.
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The question was about anyone associated with the campaign meeting Russian officials.
 
JB1981 said:
"Justice officials said Sessions met with Kislyak on Sept. 8 in his capacity as a member of the armed services panel rather than in his role as a Trump campaign surrogate.

“He was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign — not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee,” Flores said."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...no-name:homepage/story&utm_term=.bf11cb8f7652

Nothing will come of this.
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This is immaterial. He wasnt even asked about him contacting the Russian ambassador as a member of the campaign, he personally volunteered in a broad sense that he hadnt been in contact with any Russians period.
 
There wasn't even a thread posted about the far less ambiguous, far more nefarious in-depth expose by Rachel Maddow of the new commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, and his very straightforward connection to billions of dollars in money laundering by Russian ogliarchs and the lining of Donald Trumps pockets to the tune of $60,000,000. Nor has it picked up much traction for what a piece of investigative journalism that could've toppled previous presidencies outright.

When something like that is swept under the rugs, what hope does this have of going anywhere?
 
David H Wong said:
Why isn't this a valid defense? If he's required to do it in his role as a Senator, and the question at the hearing was if he did it in his role as part of the Trump campaign (thus the reference to being a "Surrogate") then it does in fact come down to the nature of the conversation, doesn't it?

The reason so many of us are less optimistic is because people can't resist jumping to crazy conclusions. Talking to an ambassador from another country isn't treason, that's what they're here for. As far as I understand, the question is was he doing it as a surrogate for Trump or as part of armed services committee business.

I spent eight years watching Republicans try to dance on Obama's grave ("This testimony about Benghazi will have him in jail by March!") and I always thought it was hilarious. But I'm seeing a lot of the same thing here.
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This.

BlueTsunami said:
This is whats going to make his explanation ring hollow. What reasons did Session and Session alone need to discuss with a Russian ambassador that other committee members didn't. Of thays the best answer theyve got, this shit is done.
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RoKKeR said:
Twice, nonetheless. And not in the first half of the year, either.
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Also
@mattyglesias

Is it customary for the Russian ambassador to attend the RNC? Or only in years when someone is changing the Ukraine plank in the platform?
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David H Wong said:
Why isn't this a valid defense? If he's required to do it in his role as a Senator, and the question at the hearing was if he did it in his role as part of the Trump campaign (thus the reference to being a "Surrogate") then it does in fact come down to the nature of the conversation, doesn't it?
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That's the thing, during the confirmation, the question asked didn't specify as only 'part of the campaign', it was a question simply asking if anyone had spoken with Russians. He also didn't respond saying that he DID speak to them in a different capacity. He just flat out said no and he never spoke to them.
 
BlueTsunami said:
This is whats going to make his explanation ring hollow. What reasons did Session and Session alone need to discuss with a Russian ambassador that other committee members didn't. Of thays the best answer theyve got, this shit is done.
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And if anyone was to meet him, it would be the chairman
 
SESSIONS STATEMENT. WHAT.

C54vj2IUYAA1NGp.jpg
 
David H Wong said:
Why isn't this a valid defense? If he's required to do it in his role as a Senator, and the question at the hearing was if he did it in his role as part of the Trump campaign (thus the reference to being a "Surrogate") then it does in fact come down to the nature of the conversation, doesn't it?

The reason so many of us are less optimistic is because people can't resist jumping to crazy conclusions. Talking to an ambassador from another country isn't treason, that's what they're here for. As far as I understand, the question is was he doing it as a surrogate for Trump or as part of armed services committee business.

I spent eight years watching Republicans try to dance on Obama's grave ("This testimony about Benghazi will have him in jail by March!") and I always thought it was hilarious. But I'm seeing a lot of the same thing here.
Click to expand...

A foreign government sponsored a team of hackers to attack Democratic organizations and figures with the express purpose of depressing Hillary Clinton's campaign and boosting Donald Trump's chances to win the presidency. At least two surrogates from Trump's campaign who were sworn as high-level cabinet figures in the White House have since been found to not only be in contact with Russian officials during the campaign and transition, but lied about it -- in Sessions' case, under oath.

This is hardly the same thing as Benghazi. This is the national security adviser and attorney general caught communicating with Russian officials, amid accusations of the Russian government conspiring to undermine our election, and getting caught lying about it.
 
Ive a personal issue.

Ive once had a family member charged with conspiracy, even after there was no evidence that could prove he did it and was imprisoned.

If Sessions is not at minimal, forced to resign, I will lose full faith in Murrika. I cant stand this shit anymore.
 
They're trying to push it off on a technicality. Honestly, I wish the democratic senators had gone all in on the Russia connection during the hearings. Asked a million questions that he couldn't wiggle out of. The senators instead seemed to drone on giving grandiose speeches about civil rights.
 
tedrotheredro said:
They're trying to push it off on a technicality. Honestly, I wish the democratic senators had gone all in on the Russia connection during the hearings. Asked a million questions that he couldn't wiggle out of. The senators instead seemed to drone on giving grandiose speeches about civil rights.
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Speeches about civil rights when debating the merits of Jeff Sessions as AG seem appropriate to me, but what do I know.
 
So the White House is now saying this is all a conspiracy by the democrats to try and take away all of the positive attention Trump was getting from his wonderful address to congress yesterday.

Fucking L.O.L.
 
Striek said:
There wasn't even a thread posted about the far less ambiguous, far more nefarious in-depth expose by Rachel Maddow of the new commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, and his very straightforward connection to billions of dollars in money laundering by Russian ogliarchs and the lining of Donald Trumps pockets to the tune of $60,000,000. Nor has it picked up much traction for what a piece of investigative journalism that could've toppled previous presidencies outright.

When something like that is swept under the rugs, what hope does this have of going anywhere?
Click to expand...

Our Secretary of State won the Friendship of Russia award, and has similar business dealings in russia and that didn't go anywhere.

Like they say, it's not the action, but the cover up.
 
From the WaPo article:

In January, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) asked Sessions for answers to written questions. “Several of the President-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?” Leahy wrote.

Sessions responded with one word: “No.”
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From the Department of Justice:

“During 2016, ambassadors would often make superficial comments about election-related news, but it was not the substance of their discussion,”
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Blader said:
Speeches about civil rights when debating the merits of Jeff Sessions as AG seem appropriate to me, but what do I know.
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Where does it get you? Everyone knew he was getting confirmed. At least use the hearings for something useful, like pushing us towards impeachment.
 
RaidenZR said:
Didn't he just have a statement prior to this that said the opposite?
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Well, here he is saying he didn't meet with Russians to discuss the campaign.

He might have met to discuss lifting of sanctions (or any other topic), but no campaign talk.

More_Badass said:
Your own administration just said it was "superficial" comments, you idiot
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"About the election, not the campaign." That's gonna be his excuse.
 
RaidenZR said:
Didn't he just have a statement prior to this that said the opposite?
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Technically that previous statement came from his office(Sarah Isgur Flores), this one is signed by him. The other statements that also tried to 'protect' him also came from administration surrogates. In other words... the administration is beautifully incompetent.
 
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