After being openly criticized by President Donald Trump in the New York Times late Wednesday evening, Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he plans to stay in his position as the nation's top law enforcement officer.
"I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate," Sessions said at a Thursday press conference in Washington D.C.
During the interview with The Times the President expressed frustration with Sessions' recusal in the Russia case, saying he would have never appointed him attorney general had he known Sessions would refuse to oversee investigations related to the Oval Office.
Sessions recused himself from the Department of Justice probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election in March, citing a conflict of interest because he was heavily involved with the Trump campaign.
“During the course of the confirmation proceedings on my nomination to be Attorney General, I advised the Senate Judiciary Committee that ‘[i]f a specific matter arose where I believed my impartiality might reasonably be questioned, I would consult with Department ethics officials regarding the most appropriate way to proceed" Sessions said. “During the course of the last several weeks, I have met with the relevant senior career Department officials to discuss whether I should recuse myself from any matters arising from the campaigns for President of the United States.
“Having concluded those meetings today, I have decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States. I have taken no actions regarding any such matters, to the extent they exist," he continued. “This announcement should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation or suggestive of the scope of any such investigation."
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