U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said today (March 2) he will not involve himself in any investigation of foreign interference in last year’s election.
“I have now decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matter related in any way to the campaigns for president of the United States,” Sessions announced.
Sessions was an advisor to the Trump campaign. He’s now taking heat from members of Congress, mostly Democrats, over his failure to disclose during his confirmation hearing that he’d met twice with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
Before Sessions announced his decision, Alaska’s two U.S. senators took different positions.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, through a spokeswoman, said that Sessions should recuse himself and provide information about his meetings with the ambassador.
Sen. Dan Sullivan defended Sessions. A Sullivan press release blamed Democrats for trying to disparage the attorney general. The senator called it a “politically motivated witch hunt.”
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity and principle, and I take him at his word that when, and if appropriate, he will recuse himself,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan served with Sessions on the Senate Armed Services Committee and said meeting ambassadors is part of the job.
Sessions said today he did not recall any campaign-related discussion with the Russian ambassador.
His announcement came as several Republicans in Congress joined Democrats in calling for recusal. Democratic leaders are also asking Sessions to resign.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
