[NYT] Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence

Sessions spoke twice with Russian ambassador during Trump’s presidential campaign, Justice officials say

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.

The previously undisclosed discussions could fuel new congressional calls for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russia’s alleged role in the 2016 presidential election. As attorney general, Sessions oversees the Justice Department and the FBI, which have been leading investigations into Russian meddling and any links to Trump’s associates. He has so far resisted calls to recuse himself.

This is going to get worse...

This should be a sticky.

 

Who didn't meet with the Russians at this point?

Rocket River

 

Rosie O!

 

Insane amount of smoke for there to be no fire

 

Sessions lied to Congress. He should resign immediately. This is outrageous. The man is the boss of the FBI? Give the ****ing country a break!

 

Impeach Trump. He was the ring leader

 

I thought, 'well hold on now, folks. maybe he wasn't asked.' But then you can look it up.

Franken asked him what he would do on the Russian investigations. Not only did Sessions says he "didn't know of any" contacts between the Russians and the Trump campaign, but he voluntarily added, and completely lied, saying certainly he had never had any contacts with the Russians.

What the ****. He lied under oath, and not about an intern or some ****, about contacts with a mostly hostile foreign government.

I agree with you, I'm afraid. He should step down.

 

It is looking like he flat lied during his confirmation hearings. He was asked directly and said no. They are already trying to spin it that this meeting was as part of his congressional role.



(PHOTO BY ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES)
It sure seems like Donald Trump's Attorney General perjured himself in his confirmation hearing.

The Trump administration has been in power for six weeks and they've spent the entire time embroiled in myriad scandals. From signing the unconstitutional "Muslim Ban" to near-constant infighting, the administration is constantly inventing new levels of dysfunction. But the big scandal, the "could potentially end the administration"scandal is the Trump administration's constant contact with the Russian government during the election while Russia was meddling in our electoral process.

Today that scandal just got a lot bigger, because according to a report from The Washington Post, former Trump campaign surrogate and current Attorney General Jeff Sessions, had multiple meetings with Russia's ambassador to the United States before the election (and during Russia's cyber attack to disrupt our election), and then lied about it under oath during his Senate confirmation hearing.

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.

And here's video of Sessions lying under oath about whether or not he had any contact with Russian officials during the campaign.




Sessions' office released the following comment:

“There was absolutely nothing misleading about his answer,” said Sarah Isgur Flores, Sessions’s spokeswoman.

That is so wildly insulting to the intelligence of the American public. Sessions said, "I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians." Sessions met with Russia's ambassador during the campaign. That is what we call a bald-faced lie. And before they inevitably try to pivot to an "it slipped my mind" situation, let's all agree this is not the kind of thing you forget. All anyone was talking about during the campaign was Russia. If you meet with Russia during that time, you don't forget it. And as if this wasn't bad enough (and it's really ****ing bad!) it turns out that the ambassador Sessions met with may have been more than just an "ambassador."

Let's just remind everybody of the legal definition of treason:

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

We may not quite be at that definition yet, but we're rapidly approaching it. It's not crazy that a potential perjury charge may be the least of Jeff Sessions and the Trump administration's problems in coming weeks.

For the Democrats' part, Nancy Pelosi has already called on Sessions to resign.

View image on Twitter

We'll have more as this story develops and this administration disintegrates.

 

He didn't technically lie.

Having said that, this is a really really bad next domino to fall for Trump.

If (and it is a big if) the dominoes are proven to be connected; it will be the biggest scandal in US history. A lot of people will go to jail.

 

a member of the Armed Services Committee talked to an ambassador? scandalous!

this new McCarthyism ("have you ever talked to a Russian?") is getting absurd

Jeff Sessions is a Russian agent!

 

He lied about it

Under oath

On live TV

For no gotdamn reason

 

Alternative facts. A recurring theme of the Trump administration.

 

Yeah, I think you can stick a fork in Sessions...he's done.

 

chief White House ethics lawyer for Dubya

 

Your optimism is charming
I bet nothing happens to him

This is the Teflon administration


Rocket River

 

That's "MISTER the only member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to speak to the same Russian ambassador that the National Sercurity Advisor lied about speaking to" to you!

 

Oh, I bet there's a reason.

 

Way to miss the whole point. Clinton's impeachment had nothing to do with the BJ. But you know all this. Deflection! Sad!

 

Just amazing...