WASHINGTON — Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who fired off one of
the harshest
criticisms of
Attorney
General Jeff
Sessions over
his meetings
with a Russian
ambassador,
faced blowback
herself Thursday when the senator's own tweets
contradicted her claim that she never had
met the ambassador.
the harshest
criticisms of
Attorney
General Jeff
Sessions over
his meetings
with a Russian
ambassador,
faced blowback
herself Thursday when the senator's own tweets
contradicted her claim that she never had
met the ambassador.
McCaskill called on Sessions to resign, saying
he "misled the Senate" about his contact with
Russian officials during the 2016 election
campaign.
he "misled the Senate" about his contact with
Russian officials during the 2016 election
campaign.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday
night that Sessions met twice with the
Russian ambassador to the U.S. last year.
During his confirmation hearing to become
President Trump's top law enforcement official,
Sessions said he had no contact with Russian
officials and did not know anything about
reported contacts between Trump's campaign
advisers and allies of Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
night that Sessions met twice with the
Russian ambassador to the U.S. last year.
During his confirmation hearing to become
President Trump's top law enforcement official,
Sessions said he had no contact with Russian
officials and did not know anything about
reported contacts between Trump's campaign
advisers and allies of Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
“I’m not aware of any of those activities,”
Sessions told the Senate Judiciary Committee
during his January confirmation hearing. "I have
been called a surrogate at a time or two in that
campaign, and I did not have communications
with the Russians.”
Sessions told the Senate Judiciary Committee
during his January confirmation hearing. "I have
been called a surrogate at a time or two in that
campaign, and I did not have communications
with the Russians.”
Read more:
A spokeswoman for Sessions, in a statement
responding to the Post story, said he did not
disclose his meetings with the Russian
ambassador because he was asked during
the hearing about communications between
Russia and the Trump campaign. His
spokeswoman said Sessions' meetings with
the Russian ambassador were held in his role
as a senator and a member of the Armed
Services Committee, not in his role as a top
Trump campaign adviser.
responding to the Post story, said he did not
disclose his meetings with the Russian
ambassador because he was asked during
the hearing about communications between
Russia and the Trump campaign. His
spokeswoman said Sessions' meetings with
the Russian ambassador were held in his role
as a senator and a member of the Armed
Services Committee, not in his role as a top
Trump campaign adviser.
McCaskill blasted that explanation.
“A good prosecutor would have known these
facts were relevant to the questions asked,”
McCaskill said in a statement Thursday morning.
"It's clear Attorney General Sessions misled the
Senate — the question is, why? I’ve been on
the Senate Armed Services Committee for
10 years, and in that time, have had no call
from, or meeting with, the Russian ambassador.
Ever.
facts were relevant to the questions asked,”
McCaskill said in a statement Thursday morning.
"It's clear Attorney General Sessions misled the
Senate — the question is, why? I’ve been on
the Senate Armed Services Committee for
10 years, and in that time, have had no call
from, or meeting with, the Russian ambassador.
Ever.
"That’s because ambassadors call members
of Foreign Relations Committee," McCaskill
added. "Attorney General Sessions should
resign.”
of Foreign Relations Committee," McCaskill
added. "Attorney General Sessions should
resign.”
McCaskill's statement that she never met with
Russia's ambassador was immediately
challenged by Charles C. Cooke, editor of
National Review Online, a conservative
news site. Cooke noted that McCaskill had
tweeted about a 2013 meeting with
Russia's top diplomat in the U.S.
Russia's ambassador was immediately
challenged by Charles C. Cooke, editor of
National Review Online, a conservative
news site. Cooke noted that McCaskill had
tweeted about a 2013 meeting with
Russia's top diplomat in the U.S.
Asked to explain, McCaskill said the meeting
on adoption was with about a dozen other
senators. She said she never had been
contacted by the Russian ambassador nor
had a one-on-one meeting with him.
on adoption was with about a dozen other
senators. She said she never had been
contacted by the Russian ambassador nor
had a one-on-one meeting with him.
"The Russian ambassador has never called
me. The Russian ambassador has never
requested a meeting. I have never met with
the Russian ambassador one-on-one,"
McCaskill said. "I went to a meeting on
adoptions, and he was there. But it was
a bunch of senators. And it had nothing to
do with the Armed Services Committee."
me. The Russian ambassador has never
requested a meeting. I have never met with
the Russian ambassador one-on-one,"
McCaskill said. "I went to a meeting on
adoptions, and he was there. But it was
a bunch of senators. And it had nothing to
do with the Armed Services Committee."
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