Rep. Marc Veasey
During his confirmation hearings, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he had no contact with Russian officials. But The Washington Post has now reported that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador twice over the last year while Sessions was involved in the Trump campaign.
Republicans have called on Sessions to recuse himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election. But Democrats are calling on Sessions to resign after perjuring himself during the confirmation hearings.
Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, is among those calling on Sessions to resign. Veasey released the following statement today (Thursday, March 2):
“Despite swearing under oath that he had no contact with Russian officials during the 2016 Presidential campaign, it is now clear that Attorney General Sessions was not honest and forthright in his responses. While I opposed Session’s original nomination based on his deplorable civil rights record, this latest revelation makes it even clearer that he is not fit to hold our country’s highest law enforcement position.
“I repeat House Democrats’ call to create an independent, bi-partisan investigation into Russian influence on the presidential campaign and within the Trump administration. Republicans have repeatedly ignored our requests and instead continued to shield the Trump administration from a fair, transparent investigation. The American people deserve answers and it is time for Attorney General Sessions to recuse him from any Russian related investigation and resign from his position permanently.”
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson called on Trump to appoint an independent prosecutor:
“It is not enough for Attorney General Sessions to recuse himself for an independent investigation into President Trump’s Russian ties. If it is proven that he was not truthful under oath then he cannot represent the American people because he has lost our confidence in his ability to review any question brought before him. In a written questionnaire by the Senator Leahy, a Judiciary Committee Democrat, asked ‘had [Sessions] 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.’ Of all the people in the Cabinet you expect to be above any question of honesty is the Attorney General. If the allegations are proven to be truthful, it does not matter if the president stands by Attorney General Sessions, the American people should not. As a symbol of law enforcement above reproach, we need an Attorney General that exemplifies as such.
“This is all the more reason why we need to commission an independent, non-partisan entity to investigate the seriousness of these allegations with president’s political, personal and financial connections with Russia.”
