Despite denials, Sessions discussed campaign issues with Russian ambassador, intercepts show

by Kerry Eleveld for Daily Kos

Community

Friday, Jul. 21, 2017 Friday, Jul. 21, 2017 at 4:56:09pm PDT

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 09: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions waits to be introduced during a Bureau of Prisons Correctional Worker's Week Memorial Service at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial May 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Bureau of Prisons held the event to pay tribute to the agency's fallen heroes. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Washington Post has a big scoop here on Jeff “I don’t recall” Sessions and it is not good news for him.

Russia’s ambassador to Washington told his superiors in Moscow that he discussed campaign-related matters, including policy issues important to Moscow, with Jeff Sessions during the 2016 presidential race, contrary to public assertions by the embattled attorney general, according to current and former U.S. officials.

Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s accounts of two conversations with Sessions — then a top foreign policy adviser to Republican candidate Donald Trump — were intercepted by U.S. spy agencies [...]

One U.S. official said that Sessions — who testified that he has no recollection of an April encounter — has provided “misleading” statements that are “contradicted by other evidence.” A former official said that the intelligence indicates that Sessions and Kislyak had “substantive” discussions on matters including Trump’s positions on Russia-related issues and prospects for U.S.-Russia relations in a Trump administration.

Sessions has adamantly denied that he did anything other than discuss foreign relations with Kislyak in his capacity as a sitting senator. But these latest revelations appear to add more meat to suggestions that Democratic Senators like Al Franken have alluded to for months.

Given that it’s Russia o’clock on a Friday, I’m just going to drop in a few more Russia-related tidbits for discussion.

Trump Jr. and Manafort reach deal with Senate panel to avoid public hearing https://t.co/LrKjPpGCVz
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) July 21, 2017

House Intelligence Committee to Interview Jared Kushner on Tuesday
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) July 21, 2017

Saturday, Jul 22, 2017 · 12:14:04 AM +00:00 · Kerry Eleveld

And more amnesia from Team Trump...

NEW: Kushner releases revised financial disclosure form showing he initially left off 77 assets, w/@RichardRubinDC https://t.co/tCWIbkgSWO
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) July 21, 2017