Dear Friends,
Please find hereafter the following testimony which starts at 47 mn today June 13th 2017
A
transcript of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony before the Senate
Intelligence Committee on June 13.
CHAIRMAN
RICHARD BURR:
Attorney General Sessions, appreciate your willingness to appear before the
committee today. I thank you for your years of dedicated service as a member of
this body, and your recent leadership at the Department of Justice. As I
mentioned when Director Comey appeared before us last week, this committee's
role is to be the eyes and ears for the other 85 members of the United States
Senate and for the American people, ensuring that the intelligence community is
operating lawfully and has the necessary tools to keep America safe. The
community is a large and diverse place.
We
recognize the gravity of our investigation into Russia's interference in the
2016 U.S. elections, but I remind our constituents that, while we investigate
Russia, we are scrutinizing CIA's budget, while we are investigating Russia, we
are still scrutinizing CIA's budget, NSA's 702 program, our nation's satellite
program, and the entire IC effort to recruit and retain the best talent we can
find in the world. More often than not, the committee conducts its work behind
closed doors, a necessary step to ensure that our most sensitive sources and
methods are protected. The sanctity of these sources and methods are at the
heart of the intelligence community's ability to keep us safe and to keep our
allies safe from those who seek to harm us.
I've
said repeatedly that I did not believe any committee -- that the committee does
should be done in public. But I also recognize the gravity of the committee's
current investigation and the need for the American people to be presented the
facts so that they might make their own judgments. It is for that reason that
this committee has now held its tenth open hearing of 2017--more than double
that of the committee in recent years, and the fifth on the topic of Russian
interference. Attorney General Sessions, this venue is your opportunity to
separate fact from fiction and to set the record straight on a number of
allegations reported in the press. For example, there are several issues that
I'm hopeful we will address today. One, did you have any meetings with Russian
officials or their proxies on behalf of the Trump campaign or during your time
as attorney general? Two, what was your involvement with candidate Trump's
foreign policy team and what were their possible interactions with Russians?
Three, why did you decide to recuse yourself from the government's Russia
investigation? And, fourth, what role, if any, did you play in the removal of
then-FBI director Comey? I look forward to a candid and honest discussion as we
continue to pursue the truth behind Russia's interference in the 2016
elections. The committee's experienced staff is interviewing the relevant
parties, having spoken to more than 35 individuals to date--to include just
yesterday, an interview of former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. We
also continue to review some of the most sensitive intelligence in our
country's possession.
As
I've said previously, we will establish the facts, separate from rampant
speculation, and lay them out for the American people to make their own
judgment. Only then will we as a nation be able to put this episode to rest and
look to the future. I'm hopeful that members will focus their questions today
on the Russia investigation and not squander the opportunity by taking
political or partisan shots.
The
Vice Chairman and I continue to lead this investigation together on what is a
highly charged political issue. We may disagree at times, but we remain a
unified team with a dedicated, focused and professional staff working
tirelessly on behalf of the American people to find the truth. The committee
has made much progress as the political winds blow forcefully around us, and I
think all members would agree that despite a torrent of public debate on who
and what committee might be best suited to lead on this issue, the intelligence
committee has lived up to its obligation to move forward with purpose and above
politics. Mr. Attorney General, it's good to have you back. I would now turn to
the vice chairman for any remarks he might have.
VICE
CHAIRMAN MARK WARNER:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to also thank the way that we're proceeding
on this investigation. Mr. Attorney General, it is good to see you again. And
we appreciate your appearance on the heels of Mr. Comey's revealing testimony
last week.
I
do, though, want to take a moment at the outset and first express some concern
with the process by which we are seeing you, the attorney general, today. It is
my understanding that you were originally scheduled to testify in front of the
House and Senate Appropriations committees today. I know those appearances have
been canceled to come here instead. While we appreciate his testimony, before
our committee, I believe -- and I believe I speak for many of my colleagues --
that I believe he should also answer questions from members of those committees
and the Judiciary Committee as well. Mr. Attorney General, it's my hope that
you will reschedule those appearances as soon as possible.
In
addition, I want to say at the outset that while we consider your appearance
today as just the beginning of our interaction with you and your department,
Mr. Attorney General, we had always expected to talk to you as part of our
investigation. We believed it would be actually later in the process. We're
glad to accommodate your request to speak to us today, but we also expect to
have your commitment to cooperate with all future requests and make yourself
available, as necessary, to this committee for, as the chairman indicated with
be this very important investigation.
Now
let's move to the subject of today's discussion. Let's start with the campaign.
You were an early and ardent supporter of Mr. Trump. In March, you were named
as chairman of the Trump campaign's national security advisory committee. You
were much more than a surrogate, you were strategic advisor who helped shape
much of the campaign's national security strategy. No doubt, you will have key
insights about some of the key Trump associates that were seeking to hear from
in the weeks ahead.
Questions
have also been raised about some of your own interactions with Russian
officials during the campaign. During your confirmation hearing in January you
said, "You did not have communications with Russians. Senator Leahy later
asked you in writing whether you had been in contact with anyone connected to
any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election. You answered, I
believe with a definitive, no. Despite that fact, despite that, the fact is, as
we discovered later, that you did have interactions with Russian government
officials during the course of the campaign.
In
March you acknowledged two meetings with the Russian ambassador. Yet, there has
been public reports of a possible third meeting at the Mayflower Hotel on April
27th. I hope that today, you will help clear up the discrepancies. We’d also
expect and I hope you will be able to provide the committee with any documents
we need to shed light on the issue such as e-mails or calendars.
Then
there is a topic of the firing of former Director Comey. Last Thursday, we
received testimony from Mr. Comey under oath. He outlined his troubling
interactions with the president as well as the circumstances of his firing. A
few disturbing points stood out. Mr. Comey, who has decades of experience at
the Department of Justice and the FBI serving under presidents of both parties
was so unnerved by the actions of the president that he felt compelled to fully
document every interaction they had.
Mr.
Comey sat where you are sitting today and testified that he was concerned that
the President of the United States might lie about the nature of their
meetings. That's a shocking statement from one of the nation's top law
enforcement official. We heard that Director Comey took it as a direction from
the president that he was to drop the FBI's investigation into former adviser
Mike Flynn. Finally, we heard from Mr. Comey that he believes he was fired over
his handling of the Russia investigation. The president himself confirmed this
in statements to the media. This is deeply troubling for all of us who believe
on both sides in preserving the Independence of the FBI.
We
have a lot of work in order to follow-up on these alarming disclosures. Mr.
Attorney General, your testimony today is an opportunity to begin the process
of asking those questions. For instance again, I know others will ask about
this: You recused yourself from the Russia investigation and participated in
the firing over the handling of that same investigation. We want to ask how you
view your recusal and whether you believe you complied fully. We heard from Mr.
Comey that the president asked to you leave the Oval Office so he could speak
one-on-one with Mr. Comey. Again, a very concerning action. We will need to
hear from you about how you viewed the president's request and whether you
thought it was appropriate. We also want to know if you are aware of any
attempts by the president to enlist leaders in the intelligence community to
undermine this same Russia investigation.
Most
importantly, our committee will want to hear what you are doing to ensure that
the Russians or any other foreign adversaries cannot attack our democratic
process like this ever again. I'm concerned that the president still does not
recognize the severity of the threat. He, to date, has not acknowledged the
conclusions of the intelligence community that Russia massively intervened in
our elections. The threat we face is real. It's not limited to us. The recent
effects in France gives us a stark reminder that all western democracies must
take steps to protect themselves. The United States can and must be a leader in
this effort, but it will require the administration to get serious about this.
Finally, we have seen a concerning pattern of administration officials refusing
to answer public, unclassified questions about allegations about the president
in this investigation. We had a hearing with this subject last week. I want to
commend the chairman who at the end of that hearing made clear that our
witnesses, it was not acceptable for them to come forward without answers. The
the American people deserve to hear what's going on here. Thank you Mr.
Chairman, I look forward to the witness’ testimony.
ATTORNEY
GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS: Thank
you very much, Chairman Burr and ranking member Warner for allowing me to
publicly appear before your committee today. I appreciate the committee's
critically important efforts to investigate Russian interference with our
democratic processes.
Such
interference can never be tolerated and I encourage every effort to get to the
bottom of any such allegations. As you know, the Deputy Attorney General has
appointed a special counsel to investigate the matters related to the Russian
interference in the 2016 election. I'm here today to address several issues
that have been specifically raised before this committee. And I appreciate the
opportunity to respond to questions as fully as the Lord enables me to do so.
As I advise you, Mr. Chairman, with long standing Department of Justice
practice, I cannot and will not violate my duty to protect confidential
communications I have with the president. Let me address issues directly. I did
not have any private meetings, nor do I recall any conversations, with any
Russian officials at the Mayflower hotel.
