Special Report: AG Sessions Recuses HImself

from you.
Pelley: THIS IS A CBS NEWS
SPECIAL
THIS IS A CBS NEWS SPECIAL
REPORT.
WE'RE ON THE AIR BECAUSE THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED
STATES JEFF SESSIONS IS ABOUT
TO HOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE.
TODAY THE TOP DEMOCRATS IN THE
HOUSE AND SENATE CALLED ON HIM
TO RESIGN, ACCUSING HIM OF
LYING UNDER OATH DURING HIS
RECENT CONFIRMATION HEARING.
SESSIONS TESTIFIED THAT HE DID
NOT HAVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH
THE RUSSIANS DURING THE
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WHEN HE
WAS AN UNOFFICIAL ADVISOR TO
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, BUT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NOW
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT SESSIONS MET
WITH RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR OF THE
UNITED STATES TWICE LAST YEAR
IN JULY AND SEPTEMBER.
THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE
MEETINGS CAME IN SESSIONS'
CAPACITY AS A MEMBER OF THE
SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
AT THAT TIME, AND THAT THERE
WAS NOTHING UNTOWARD ABOUT
THEM.
ALL OF THIS COMES AS THE FBI,
WHICH REPORTS TO SESSIONS, IS
INVESTIGATING RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE IN THE US
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LAST
YEAR.
BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
ARE CALLING ON SESSIONS TO
RECUSE HIMSELF OR SEPARATE
HIMSELF FROM THAT
INVESTIGATION.
SESSIONS IS THE SECOND TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TO RUN
INTO TROUBLE ON THIS ISSUE.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT RETIRED
GENERAL MICHAEL FLYNN WAS
FORCED TO RETIRE LAST MONTH AS
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR FOR
LYING TO THE VICE PRESIDENT
ABOUT LYING TO THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR.
WE ARE WATCHING A LIVE PICTURE
OF THE BRIEFING AT THE US
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WHERE WE
EXPECT SESSIONS.
WE DON'T KNOW IF HE'LL REFUSE
HIMSELF OR TAKE QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED
STATES.
JEFF IS WITH US IN OUR
WASHINGTON NEWS ROOM.
JEFF, WHAT'S THE LATEST ON THIS
INVESTIGATION?
REPORTER: WELL, THIS IS
SOMETHING AS YOU KNOW, SCOTT,
THAT'S BEEN BREWING ALL DAY
LONG.
HOW IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
GOING TO RESPOND AMID ALL THIS
SWIRLING CONTROVERSY ABOUT HIS
CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON.
AND AS YOU ALLUDED TO, HE'S
CONNECTED TO MIKE FLYNN.
HIS NAME CAME UP WITH THE
CONNECTIONS WITH MIKE FLYNN
WHERE HE DISCUSSED SANCTIONS,
SO HE'S PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN
THE INVESTIGATION WHICH AS WE
NOTED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW
SEEMS TO BE EXPANDING.
THIS IS THE FBI INVESTIGATION
INTO IF THEY HAD CONTACT WITH
RUSSIAN OFFICIALS OR
OPERATIVES.
WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE
INVESTIGATION FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING.
AS WE'RE AWAITING THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL TO COME UP TO THE
PODIUM WE'LL TELL YOU MORE
ABOUT WHAT HE TOLD THE SENATE
DURING HIS CONFIRMATION
HEARING.
THE INVESTIGATION OF RUSSIA AND
WHO SPOKE TO RUSSIA AT WHAT
TIME AND ABOUT WHAT WAS IN
CURRENCY WHEN HE WAS TESTIFYING
BEFORE THE SENATE AND ATTORNEY
GENERAL SESSIONS TOLD THE
SENATORS THAT HE HAD NOT HAD
CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIANS.
RUSSIANS.
JEFF PEGUES HAS A LITTLE BIT O
WE HAVE A LITTLE BREAKING NEWS
FOR US, JEFF, WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
REPORTER: SCOTT, WE JUST
CONFIRMED THAT WE EXPECT
ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS TO
RECUSE HIMSELF.
AND HERE'S THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH ME.
JODIE IS MY CHIEF OF STAFF, AND
HAS BEEN ALMOST 20 YEARS IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
LET ME SHARE A FEW THOUGHTS.
FIRST ABOUT THE COMMENTS THAT I
MADE TO THE COMMITTEE THAT HAVE
BEEN SAID TO BE INCORRECT AND
FALSE, LET ME BE CLEAR, I NEVER
HAD MEETINGS WITH RUSSIAN
OPERATIVES OR RUSSIAN
INTERMEDIARIES ABOUT THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN.
AND THE IDEA THAT I WAS PART OF
A QUOTE CONTINUING EXCHANGE OF
INFORMATION DURING THE CAMPAIGN
BETWEEN TRUMP SURROGATES AND
INTERMEDIARIES FOR THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT IS TOTALLY FALSE.
THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT
SENATOR FRANKEN ASKED ME AT THE
HEARING, AND THAT'S WHAT GOT MY
ATTENTION AS HE NOTED, IT WAS
THE FIRST, JUST BREAKING NEWS.
IT GOT MY ATTENTION, AND THAT
IS THE QUESTION I RESPONDED TO.
I DID NOT RESPOND BY REFERRING
TO THE TWO MEETS, ONE VERY
BRIEF AFTER A SPEECH, AND ONE
WITH TWO OF MY SENIOR STAFFERS,
PROFESSIONAL STAFFERS WITH THE
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR IN
WASHINGTON.
WHERE NO SUCH THINGS WERE
DISCUSSED.
NO SUCH THINGS WERE DISCUSSED.
IN MY REPLY TO THE QUESTION, MY
REPLY TO THE QUESTION OF
SENATOR FRANKEN WAS HONEST AND
CORRECT AS I UNDERSTOOD IT AT
THE TIME.
I APPRECIATE THAT SOME HAVE
TAKEN THE VIEW THAT THIS WAS A
FALSE COMMENT.
THAT IS NOT MY INTENT, THAT IS
NOT CORRECT.
I WILL WRITE THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE SOON, TODAY OR
TOMORROW, TO EXPLAIN THIS
TESTIMONY FOR THE RECORD.
SECONDLY, AT MY CONFIRMATION
HEARING I PROMISED THAT I WOULD
DO THIS.
IF A SPECIFIC MATTER AROSE
WHERE I BELIEVE MY IMPARTIALITY
RIGHT REASONABLY BE QUESTIONED,
I WOULD CONSULT WITH THE
DEPARTMENT ETHICS OFFICIALS
REGARDING THE MOST APPROPRIATE
WAY TO PROCEED CLOSED QUOTE.
THAT'S WHAT I TOLD THEM AT THE
CONFIRMATION HEARING.
AND I HAVE BEEN HERE JUST THREE
WEEKS TODAY.
A LOT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN
THIS THREE VEHICLE-PERIOD.
I WISH I'D HAD MORE OF MY STAFF
ON BOARD, BUT WE'RE STILL
WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION FOR
THEM.
MUCH HAS BEEN DONE, MUCH NEEDS
TO BE DONE, BUT I DID AND HAVE
DONE AS I PROMISED.
I MET WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS
SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING HERE.
WE EVALUATED THE ETHICS OF
RECUSAL.
I HAVE CONSIDERED THE ISSUES AT
STAKE.
IN FACT, ON MONDAY OF THIS
WEEK, WE SAT A MEETING WITH A
FINAL DECISION ON THIS
QUESTION, AND ON MONDAY WE SET
THAT MEETING TODAY.
SO THIS WAS A DAY THAT WE
PLANNED TO HAVE A FINAL
DISCUSSION ABOUT HANDLING THIS.
I ASKED FOR THE CANDID AND
HONEST OPINION ABOUT WHAT I
SHOULD DO ABOUT INVESTIGATIONS.
CERTAIN INVESTIGATIONS.
AND MY STAFF RECOMMENDED
RECUSING MYSELF.
THEY SAY SINCE I HAD
INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CAMPAIGN I
SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY
CAMPAIGN INVESTIGATION.
I HAVE STUDIED THE RULES AND
CONSIDERED THEIR COMMENTS AND
EVALUATION.
I BELIEVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS
ARE RIGHT AND JUST.
THEREFORE I HAVE RECUSED MYSELF
IN THE MATTERS THAT DEAL WITH
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
THE EXACT LANGUAGE OF THAT
RECUSAL IN THE PRESS RELEASE
WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.
I SAID THIS, QUOTE, I HAVE NOW
DECIDED TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM
ANY EXISTING OR FUTURE
INVESTIGATIONS OF ANY MATTER
RELATING IN ANY WAY TO THE
CAMPAIGNS FOR PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
I WENT ON TO SAY THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD NOT BE
INTERPRETED AS CONFIRMATION OF
THE EXISTENCE OF ANY
INVESTIGATION OR SUGGESTIVE OF
THE SCOPE OF ANY SUCH
INVESTIGATION BECAUSE WE IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RESIST
CONFIRMING OR DENYING THE VERY
EXISTENCE OF INVESTIGATIONS.
SO, IN THE END, I HAVE FOLLOWED
THE RIGHT PROCEDURE JUST AS I
PROMISED THE COMMITTEE I WOULD.
JUST AS I BELIEVE ANY GOOD
ATTORNEY GENERAL SHOULD DO.
AND A PROPER DECISION I BELIEVE
HAS BEEN REACHED.
SO I THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE
COMMENTS AND WOULD BE PLEASED
TO TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS.
OKAY.
REPORTER: JUST TO CLEAR UP
ANY CONFUSION OVER THIS, COULD
YOU JUST EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING,
WHO ON YOUR STAFF WAS THERE,
AND WHAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR?
THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR
APPARENTLY SENT A STAFFER TO MY
OFFICE, I DID NOT SEE HIM, AND
ASKED FOR A MEETING AS SO MANY
OF THE AMBASSADORS WERE DOING,
AND WE SET UP A TIME AS WE
NORMALLY DID, AND WE MET WITH
TWO OF MY SENIOR STAFFERS WERE
THERE, AND MAYBE A YOUNGER
STAFFER TOO, AND THEY, BOTH
RETIRED ARMY COLONELS, NOT
POLITICIAN, AND WE LISTENED TO
THE AMBASSADOR AND WHAT HIS
CONCERNS MIGHT BE.
WELL, JUST NORMAL THINGS SUCH
AS, I STARTED OFF BY SAYING, I
DON'T REMEMBER A LOT OF IT, BUT
I DO REMEMBER SAYING I'D GONE
TO RUSSIA WITH A CHURCH GROUP
IN 1991 AND HE SAID HE WAS NOT
A BELIEVER HIMSELF, BUT HE WAS
GLAD TO HAVE CHURCH PEOPLE COME
THERE.
INDEED I THOUGHT HE WAS PRETTY
MUCH OF AN OLD STYLE SOVIET
TYPE AMBASSADOR.
SO WE TALKED A LITTLE ABOUT
TERRORISM AS I RECALL, AND THE
SUBJECT OF UKRAINE CAME UP.
I HAD THE UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR
IN THE DAY BEFORE, AND TO
LISTEN TO HIM RUSSIA HAD DONE
NOTHING WRONG IN ANY AREA AND
EVERYBODY ELSE WAS WRONG WITH
REGARD TO THE UKRAINE.
IT GOT TO BE A TESTY
CONVERSATION AT THAT POINT.
IT WRAPPED UP, HE SAID
SOMETHING ABOUT INVITING ME TO
HAVE LUNCH.
I DID NOT ACCEPT THAT, AND THAT
NEVER OCCURRED.
NEVER OCCURRED.
[INAUDIBLE].
REPORTER: [ INAUDIBLE ]
I DON'T RECALL, BUT MOST OF
THESE AMBASSADORS ARE PRETTY
GOSSIPERS, BUT I DON'T RECALL
ANY SPECIFIC DISCUSSIONS.
REPORTER: DO YOU RECALL
MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR ANY
OTHER TIMES?
I DON'T RECALL HAVING MET
HIM.
I MEAN IT'S POSSIBLE.
I'M ON THE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE, AND IT'S POSSIBLERS
BUT I DON'T RECALL -- POSSIBLE,
BUT I DON'T RECALL HAVING MET
HIM BEFORE.
ON THE
REPORTER: WHY DO YOU THINK
HE SOUGHT A MEETING WITH YOU?
BECAUSE YOU WERE A
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION?
I THINK AMBASSADORS ARE
ALWAYS OUT TRYING TO FIND OUT
THINGS AND ADVANCE THEIR
AGENDA.
MOTH AMBASSADORS WOULD LAY OUT
THE CASE, UKRAINE LAID OUT
THEIR CASE, POLAND, L ATVIA,
JAPAN, CANADA, AUSTRALIA.
I MET WITH ALL OF THEM OVER THE
YEAR AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHY.
REPORTER: DID YOU CONSULT
WITH THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT YOUR
DECISION AND JUST TO FOLLOW ON
THE LAST QUESTION, WITH HIND
SET DO YOU BELIEVE THIS IS A
COINCIDENCE THAT THE RUSSIANS
ASKED YOU FOR A MEETING OR DO
YOU BELIEVE YOU WERE TARGETED
BECAUSE IT CAME AT THE HEIGHT
OF RUSSIA'S INTERFERENCE, AND
AT THE SAME TIME THEN CANDIDATE
TRUMP WAS GIVING AN INTERVIEW
SAYING HE DIDN'T BELIEVE THERE
WAS ANYTHING TO THE REPORTS?
I DON'T RECALL AND DON'T
HAVE A SENSE OF ANY CONNECTION
WHATSOEVER ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T THINK I KNEW WHEN WE
SET UP THE MEETING WHAT WAS
GOING ON IN THE WORLD, SO I
CAN'T SPEAK FOR WHAT THE
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR MAY HAVE HAD
IN HIS MIND.
REPORTER: HAVE YOU MET WITH
ANY OTHER RUSSIAN OFFICIALS OR
FOLKS CONNECTED TO THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT SINCE YOU ENDORSED
TRUMP?
I DON'T THINK SO.
WE MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE.
REPORTER: FROM THOSE TWO
MEETINGS YOU DISCUSSED WITH THE
AMBASSADOR [ INAUDIBLE ]
I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
REPORTER: THE WHITE HOUSE
PRESS SECRETARY AND PRESIDENT
THEMSELVES SAID THEY THINK
TODAY YOU SHOULDN'T RECUSE
YOURSELF IN THE INVESTIGATIONS
[ INAUDIBLE ]
I DID SHARE WITH WHITE HOUSE
COUNCIL THAT I INTEND TO RECUSE
MYSELF, BUT I FEEL LIKE THEY
DON'T KNOW THE RULES, THE
ETHICS RULES.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T, BUT WHEN YOU
EVALUATE THE RULES I FEEL
LIKISH NOT BE INVOLVED -- LIKE
I SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED
INVESTIGATING A CAMPAIGN I WAS
INVOLVED IN.
ONE MORE QUESTION.
REPORTER: YOU WERE ALREADY
CONSIDERING RECUSAL BEFORE
TODAY, AND WHEN YOU ANSWERED
SENATOR FRANKEN'S QUESTION WERE
YOU NOT CONSIDERING THE MEETING
OR DIDN'T CONSIDER IT RELEVANT?
I WAS TAKEN ABACK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THIS BRAND NEW
INFORMATION, THIS ALLEGATION
THAT MY SURROGATES AND I, AND I
HAD BEEN CALLED A SURROGATE FOR
DONALD TRUMP, HAS BEEN MEETING
CONTINUOUSLY WITH RUSSIAN
OFFICIALS, AND THAT'S WHAT
STRUCK ME VERY HARD AND FOCUSED
MY ANSWER ON, IN RETROSPECT I
SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN AND
SAID I DID MEET ONE RUSSIAN
OFFICIAL A COUPLE OF TIMES.
THAT WOULD BE THE AMBASSADOR.
THANK YOU ALL, TAKE CARE.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES JEFF SESSIONS,
ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THREE
WEEKS NOW ANNOUNCING THAT HE
WOULD RECUSE HIMSELF, THAT'S TO
SAY SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM ANY
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
INVESTIGATIONS OF THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND WHETHER IT HAD
IMPROPER CONTACTS WITH ANYONE
IN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
NOW THE NEWS CONFERENCE WAS
IMPORTANT ALSO FOR WHAT JEFF
SESSIONS DID NOT SAY.
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF
LEGISLATORS ON CAPITOL HILL WHO
HAVE CALLED FOR A SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR IN THIS CASE.
THAT WOULD TAKE THE
INVESTIGATION COMPLETELY
OUTSIDE OF THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, WHICH OF COURSE IS
A DEPARTMENT UNDER PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S PER VIEW.
BUT HE DIDN'T ANSWER THERE
WOULD BE A -- ANNOUNCE THERE
WOULD BE A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR.
HE SAID HE'D KEEP THE
INVESTIGATION WITHIN THE FBI,
PART OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
AND HE'D STEP AHEAD AND NOT BE
INVOLVED IN ANY DECISIONS
REGARDING THAT INVESTIGATION.
JEFF PIGAYS IS IN THE NEWS
ROOM, AND FOLLOWING THE
INVESTIGATION OF THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND WHETHER IT HAD
IMPROPER CONTACTS WITH THE
RUSSIANS OVER THE LATTER DAYS
OF CAMPAIGN.
JEFF, BRING US UP TO SPEED ON
WHAT THIS MEANS NOW AND WHAT
THE FBI IS LOOKING INTO.
REPORTER: THEY'RE LOOKING
INTO WHETHER THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
WAS IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH
RUSSIAN OPERATIVES FOR
OFFICIALS AND THIS IS AN
INVESTIGATION THAT SEEMS TO BE
BROADENING HERE.
JUST PICKING UP ON WHAT YOU
SAID, THEY ARE NOT APPOINTING A
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR BUT THEY
WILL HAVE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
STEPPING IN TO OVERSEE THE
INVESTIGATION, AND IN THE EARLY
DAYS OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HE
TAKE OVER FOR SALLY YATES WHO
WAS THEN THE ACTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL THAT WENT TO THE WHITE
HOUSE IN THE OPENING DAYS OF
ADMINISTRATION AND WARNED WHITE
HOUSE OFFICIALS THAT SHE FELT
LIKE FLYNN, THE FORMER NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR WAS
COMPROMISED AND COULD BE THE
SUBJECT OF BLACKMAIL BECAUSE OF
HIS CONTACTS WITH RUSSIAN
OFFICIALS, SPECIFICALLY THE
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR, AND THE
FACT THE ACTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL DIDN'T FEEL AS IF HE'D
BEEN TOTALLY TRANSPARENT WITH
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS IN HIS
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE
CONTACTS OVER THE PHONE THAT HE
HAD WITH THE AMBASSADOR.
SO DANA BENTE IS A NAME WE'VE
COME TO KNOW OVER THE LAST
MONTH OR SO OF THE
ADMINISTRATION.
JEFF IN THE WASHINGTON NEWS
ROOM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE WERE JUST WATCHING LIVE
PICTURES OF PRESIDENT ARRIVING
BACK AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS IN
MARYLAND.
HE HAS BEEN A DAY TRIP TODAY TO
VISIT A BRAND NEW AIRCRAFT
CARRIER, THE USS GERALD FORD,
AND THE PRESIDENT WAS WEARING A
CAP FROM THE GERALD FORD.
HE'S NOW ON MARINE ONE AS YOU
CAN SEE THEM, BUTTONING UP THE
DOORS, AND HE'LL BE HEADED BACK
TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT EARLIER
TODAY THE PRESIDENT SAID HE HAD
QUOTE TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN HIS
ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS.
THERE'LL BE MORE ABOUT THIS ON
YOUR LOCAL NEWS ON THIS CBS
STATION, AND AS ALWAYS ON OUR
24 HOUR STREAMING NEWS SERVICE.
AND WE'LL HAVE FULL WRAP UP

Special Report: AG Sessions Recuses HImself

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