By: Kayla Pasacreta

Sessions’ long awaited testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee ended up leaving people with even more questions than they had before. In his opening statement, Sessions declared, “I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States.”

We’re going to dissect some quotes from Sessions and explain their relevance in the hearing.

·      “This a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me – and I don’t appreciate it.” Sessions, rather defensive, made it his goal today to attempt to prove that he did absolutely no wrongdoing in the Russia probe. Sessions also clarified that he didn’t recuse himself from the Russia probe because of any mistake he made, but rather, “Importantly, I recused myself not because of any asserted wrongdoing on my part during the campaign, but because a Department of Justice regulation … required it.” Sessions also described talk of him colluding with Russia as “an appalling and detestable lie."

·      Stonewall: to delay or block (a request, process, or person), by refusing to answer questions. This is what Sessions is being accused of by people across the aisle, even though he insisted that he was not doing so. Sessions answered, “I don’t recall”, “I don’t know”, and “I don’t remember” to a lot of questions. Angus King tried to call out Sessions’ on his inability/refusal to answer questions, by essentially telling Sessions there was zero legal basis for him to argue executive privilege, since the President did not exert executive privilege.

·      James Comey: Sessions did not refute or contradict anything from James Comey’s testimony. This is a huge win for Comey, since Trump described Comey’s testimony as “full of false statements”.

·       “If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador, I do not remember it.” Rumors on the Hill have been swirling that Sessions had a third undisclosed meeting with Russian ambassador at the Mayflower Hotel. Note that Sessions does not completely deny interacting with him – he only says he does not recall. Attached is a photo circling of Sessions near Kislyak at the Mayflower Hotel.

·       Senator Martin Heinrich to Sessions: “You are obstructing that Congresssional investigation by not answering questions.”

·       Sessions was not here to talk about his conversations with Trump regarding Comey. He argued that these conversations were confidential.

·       When asked by Senator King if he believed Russia interfered with the eelection, Sessions answered “Appears so.” When asked by King if he ever asked about it, Sessions, the head of the Department of Justice, replied, “No.” Why did Sessions never inquire about possible Russia collusions?

 In short, you didn’t really miss much from Sessions’ trial. He is refusing to help the Senate Intelligence Committee and quite frankly is not giving any information that is helpful to the investigation. Chuck Schumer, “This is part of a repeated and troubling pattern” from Trump officials who refuse to answer questions about the Russian investigation.