Patrick Leahy On Sessions Testimony: ‘It Wasn’t Truthful’ | For The Record

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE UNTIL THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS
TESTIFIES. GOOD EVENING, SENATOR.
>> GOOD EVENING. >> ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE A WITNESS BEFORE THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
TOMORROW. WHAT HAPPENED.
>> HE SAID TWICE HE WOULD BE THERE.
BOTH TIMES HE WENT BACK. HE WAS NOT THERE.
IT WOULD BE VERY UNUSUAL FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL NOT TO COME AND
TESTIFY ABOUT HIS BUDGET. I THINK HE'S VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT COMING BEFORE US. I WISH HE WOULD.
HE WILL GO BEFORE THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
IF HE THINKS HE'S GOING TO GET TOUGH QUESTIONS IN THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HE WILL GET EQUALLY TOUGH ONES IN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. >> HIS JOB AS THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL IS TO COME WHEN SUMMONED BY THE APPROPRIATIONS BECAUSE
YOUR JOB IS OVERSIGHT OVER HIS BUDGET, RIGHT?
>> AND WE KNOW THEY'RE NOT SPENDING SOME OF THEIR BUDGET.
FOR EXAMPLE, HE FIRED ALL THE U.S. ATTORNEYS.
96 OF THEM. NONE OF THAT MONEY IS BEING
SPENT. HE'S TALKED ABOUT INCREASING THE
COST OF OUR BUREAU OF PRISONS BY GOING AFTER PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH
MARIJUANA, OF ALL THINGS. WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS WE
WANT TO ASK HIM. >> DO YOU WANT TO ASK HIM ANY
QUESTIONS ABOUT RUSSIA? >> THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST OFF
QUESTION ABOUT RUSSIA BECAUSE HE DIDN'T TELL US THE TRUTH TWICE
WHEN HE WAS UNDER OATH. >> MISTAKE OR NOT TELL YOU THE
TRUTH? >> IT WASN'T TRUTHFUL.
HE CAN CALL IT WHENEVER HE WANTED.
HE HAD TO COME BACK AND SAY ON THOSE TWO OCCASIONS HE DID NOT
TELL THE TRUTH. NOW WE FOUND THINGS TO INDICATE
HE HAD A THIRD MEETING. LET'S FIND OUT UNDER OATH WHAT
IT WAS, NOT WHAT SOMEBODY THINKS IT WAS, LET'S FIND OUT UNDER
OATH. HE'S ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT
MIGHT APPEAR UNDER OATH. NOBODY NOBODY IN GOD'S GREEN
EARTH THINKS DONALD TRUMP WILL EVER COME UP UNDER OATH.
ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS WILL. >> DO YOU THINK, BY THE WAY GET
BACK TO THIS WHOLE THING OF THE PRESIDENT, DO YOU THINK THERE
ARE TAPES OF THE PRESIDENT'S CONVERSATIONS WITH FBI DIRECTOR
COMEY OR IS HE PLAYING CAT AND MOUSE DANGLING THAT IN FRONT OF
US? >> IF THERE ARE TAPES I WOULD
ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU IT WILL CORROBORATE WHAT JAMES COMEY
SAID. WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH MR. COMEY
ON ONE ISSUE OR ANOTHER, HE TELLS THE TRUTH.
IF HE TOOK CONTEMPORANEOUS NOTES THEN THAT'S WHAT WAS HEARD.
>> LET ME GO BACK TO THIS WHOLE THING WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL
SESSIONS. YOU SERVED WITH HIM HERE IN THE
U.S. SENATE. THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
BEING MISTAKEN AND FORGETTING SOME MEETING AND INTENTIONALLY
LYING. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH IS
WHICH? >> IF I WAS A MEMBER OF A
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND HAD MAJOR MEETINGS WITH THE
RUSSIANS, I THINK I WOULD REMEMBER.
JEFF SESSION IS SMART ENOUGH TO REMEMBER.
>> IF HE JUST MET HIM IN A HOLDING ROOM WITH 15 OR 20
PEOPLE, WOULD YOU EXPECT HIM TO REMEMBER THAT?
>> I CERTAINLY WOULD ESPECIALLY IF HE WAS THERE FOR THE
CAMPAIGN. LET'S HAVE HIM COME HERE BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE AND EXPLAIN. HE GAVE US ONE ANSWER BEFORE.
HE CAME BACK AFTERWARDS AND SAID, LOOK, THAT WASN'T AN
ACCURATE ANSWER. I WILL RECUSE MYSELF.
WHEN DID HE RECUSE HIMSELF? AFTER HE ASKED TO HAVE DIRECTOR
COMEY FIRED FOR INVESTIGATING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S TIES
WITH THE RUSSIANS. IT BECOMES WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.
>> DO YOU THINK HE'S DELIBERATELY DODGING YOU OR A
SCHEDULING PROBLEM AND HE THINKS YOU SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH HIS
DEPUTY? >> THERE'S NO SCHEDULING
PROBLEM. WE ASKED HIM TO COME.
HE AGREED TWO OTHER TIMES. WE ASKED HIM TO COME TOMORROW
MORNING. HE'S NOT TESTIFYING BEFORE
INTELLIGENCE UNTIL THE AFTERNOON.
HE COULD EASILY COME. >> SO HE'S DODGING YOU?
>> WELL,

Patrick Leahy On Sessions Testimony: ‘It Wasn’t Truthful’ | For The Record | MSNBC

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