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June 14, 2017

Sessions Under Fire for Refusing to Answer Questions During Senate Testimony
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions has denied colluding with Russia ahead of
the 2016 election, during a highly anticipated testimony before the
Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. Sessions spent much of
Tuesday's hearing refusing to answer questions about President Trump's
firing of FBI Director James Comey and whether Trump had expressed
concern to Sessions about the attorney general's decision to recuse
himself from the Russia investigation. This is independent Senator Angus
King of Maine grilling Sessions about his refusal to answer questions.

Sen. Angus King: "What is the legal basis for your refusal to answer
these questions?"

Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "I am protecting the right of the
president to exert it-assert it if he chooses. And there may be other
privileges that could apply in this circumstance."

Sen. Angus King: "Well, I don't-I don't understand how you can have it
both ways. The president can't not assert it. And you've testified that
only the president can assert it, and yet I just don't understand the
legal basis for your-for your refusal to answer."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "Well, it would it be premature for me
to deny the president a full and intelligent choice about executive
privilege."

That was Jeff Sessions testifying to the Senate Intelligence Committee
Tuesday. During the testimony, California Senator Kamala Harris was
interrupted by Sen. John Mc Cain of Arizona as she questioned Sessions.
Harris was also interrupted by Mc Cain last week as she questioned
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, leading many to charge him with
sexism. The Senate is slated to vote today on whether to impose a series
of new sanctions against Russia over the alleged interference in the
2016 election. We'll have more on Jeff Sessions's testimony after
headlines.