Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump have claimed to that they didn’t have any associates in contact with Russia during the presidential election but, as The New York Times reports, that doesn’t really make sense.
After the Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos’ plea deal, Sessions might need to clear up his testimony (and potentially re-testify in the ongoing Russia investigation). While Sessions has been pretty redundant when it comes to disputing the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, The Times explains that Papadopoulos revealed in the Mueller case “he had connections that could help arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and President Putin.”
However, a source has told CNN that Sessions after turned down Papadopoulos idea for this meet and greet.
If Sessions voted against this idea, why might Sessions’ have to testify again? According to Vox, Sessions never reported this information in the first place. (You know, despite being repeatedly asked if anyone involved in the Trump campaign had any connections with Russians.)
While Sessions could have just been abiding by the unofficial rule that snitches get stitches, CNN explains that Republicans and Democrats alike are urging Sessions to account for his testimony disparities.
Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich informed CNN, “it turns out he was at this meeting with George Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos proposed meeting with Putin and Trump. He didn’t disclose that to the committee.” So maybe that’s why Sessions vehemently denounced any involvement with Russia.
Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican leadership who serves on the intelligence and judiciary panels, told CNN “I certainly think it’s a legitimate area of inquiry” for investigators to look into.
Seriously, Sessions’ stories just don’t add up. Either nobody in the Trump campaign had any contacts in Russia and Sessions is telling the truth or Papadopoulos is lying and weirdly pleading guilty for no reason. However, nobody pleads guilty to a crime they didn’t commit (unless they’re trying to be a scapegoat for the real person who committed the crime).
Hopefully someone sets the record straight soon so this investigation can continue.