U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he will recuse himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election after the Washington Post reported he failed to disclose two meetings he had with Russia’s ambassador before Donald Trump was inaugurated.
On Thursday, Democrats and some Republican Congress members called for Sessions to resign after the report claimed he spoke with Moscow’s U.S. envoy twice during the campaign.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Sessions announced his recusal, and explained his earlier comments made about the accusations, but insisted he never met with Russian officials to discuss the campaign.
Trump, however, said he has ‘total’ confidence in Sessions. When attorneys general have recused themselves in the past, investigations were handled by lower-ranking but still senior political-appointees within the Justice Department
Here’s what we know about the allegations so far:
Sessions’ alleged conversations with the Russian ambassador contradict his sworn statements during his confirmation hearings
Sessions, an early supporter of Trump’s candidacy and a policy adviser during the campaign, did not disclose discussions with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at his Senate confirmation hearing in January – even when asked what he would do if anyone affiliated with the campaign had been in contact with officials of the Russian government.
Sessions said he had not had communications with the Russians, adding that he was “unaware of those activities.” He reiterated those comments when he recused himself Thursday afternoon.
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In January, Judiciary Committee Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy also asked Sessions whether “he had been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day.”
Sessions replied “No.”
Sessions says the allegations are false
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“I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign. I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false,” he said in a statement late Wednesday.
Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores has said there was “absolutely nothing misleading” about his answer.
“He was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign – not about meetings he took as a senator,” she said in a statement.
WATCH: Paul Ryan defends Sessions, says Congress meets ‘ambassadors all time’
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the report “the latest attack against the Trump administration by partisan Democrats,” adding that Sessions met with the ambassador in an “official capacity” as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Sessions had more than 25 conversations with foreign ambassadors last year in his role as a U.S. senator and senior member of the Armed Services Committee, and had two separate interactions with Kislyak, the department confirmed.
One was a visit in September in his capacity as a senator, similar to meetings with envoys from Britain, China, Germany and other nations, the department said.
The other occurred in a group setting following a Heritage Foundation speech that Sessions gave during the summer, when several ambassadors – including the Russian ambassador – approached Sessions after the talk as he was leaving the stage.
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Why does this matter?
The issue stems back to the investigation into allegations that Russia deliberately interfered with the U.S. 2016 election.
In October, former President Barack Obama’s administration accused Russia of orchestrating a hack to influence the election results. In December, a CIA report concluded Russia played a role in Trump‘s win, prompting a commitment by Congress to proceed with an investigation.
READ MORE: Did Russia hack the US presidential election?
The FBI and U.S. intelligence agencies are looking into Russian espionage operations in the United States. They are also looking at contacts in Russia between Russian intelligence officers or others with ties to President Vladimir Putin’s government and people connected to Trump or his campaign.
Several Republicans are calling on Sessions to step aside from the investigation
At least three House Republicans – Reps. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, Darrell Issa of California and Tom Cole of Oklahoma – have said they want Sessions to withdraw from the inquiry. GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio said, “I think it would be best for him and for the country to recuse himself.”
Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told MSNBC it had come to the point for Sessions to step aside from the investigation.
READ MORE: White House won’t give straight answer on Jeff Sessions role in FBI’s Russia election probe
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, said Sessions should “clarify what these meetings were.” He said it isn’t unusual for members of Congress to meet with ambassadors, but added that if a question arose about the integrity of a federal investigation “it’d be easier” for an attorney general to step away.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said Sessions should only recuse himself if he is a subject of the probe.
WATCH: No evidence Sessions colluded with Russians, no reason to recuse himself, says Paul Ryan
During an interview with MSNBC Thursday, Sessions said, “I have said that, when it’s appropriate, I will recuse myself.”
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told Fox News earlier Thursday, “There’s nothing to recuse himself from.” He added that Sessions was “100 per cent straight” about his contacts with Russia.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate intelligence chairman said he trusts Sessions to make the appropriate decision about his involvement in the probe.
Top Democrats, on the other hand, are calling for Sessions to resign
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi took a firm stance on the issue Thursday, accusing Sessions of lying under oath and calling for his resignation.
“Under penalty of perjury, he told the Senate Judiciary Committee, ‘I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.’ We now know that statement is false,” Pelosi said.
READ MORE: Jeff Sessions should step down over Russian contacts he didn’t disclose, says Pelosi
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also called for Sessions to step down.
“There’s nothing wrong with meeting with the Russian ambassador. If there was nothing wrong, why don’t you just tell the truth?” Schumer told reporters. “It was definitely extremely misleading to say the least.”
WATCH: Democrats call for special prosecutor to probe Russian interference
Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee have also asked FBI to launch a criminal investigation into Sessions.
“We would ask the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office for Washington, D.C., to take up an immediate criminal investigation into these statements, which could potentially implicate a number of criminal laws including Lying to Congress and Perjury,” read the letter to FBI Director James Comey and U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips.
– With files from The Associated Press
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