Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) asking him to call Attorney General Jeff Sessions before the committee about conversations he allegedly had with former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2013 election.
Feinstein cited a Friday Washington Post report that the intelligence community intercepted communications that Kislyak had “substantiative” discussions about Trump’s policy positions with Sessions.
She wrote that if this is true it would contradict his past statements and his testimony before the Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearings.
“This is a serious matter, and the Judiciary Committee must hear directly from the Attorney General,” Feinstein said.
“As the head of the Justice Department, he holds a unique position of trust within our government, is charged with defending the Constitution, and serves as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer,” she said. “It would be a grave breach of trust if the Attorney General gave false or misleading testimony to this Committee.”
She adds that she has requested the intelligence intercepts from Kislyak’s transmissions.
In March Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation and later amended his confirmation hearing testimony in which he said he “did not have communications with the Russians” clarifying that he had met with Kislyak during the Republican National Convention and in his office but did not discuss the political campaign.
In his June testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions said, “I have never met with or had any conversations with Russians concerning interference with any campaign. The suggestion that I participated in any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, is an appalling and detestable lie.”