Pass the smelling salts for Jeff Sessions while he runs out the clock, because facing Al Franken is the last thing he wants to do.
October 18, 2017

Everybody Knows.

Jeff Sessions lied to Al Franken at his Senate confirmation hearing about his interactions with Russian officials during the Presidential campaign of 2016.

The Russian Ambassador was BACKSTAGE at the Republican National Convention, apparently with security clearance and a pass to talk to everybody. And Jeff Sessions talked to him and arranged a further meeting, which to Sessions' own acknowledgment included a discussion of Donald Trump's views on foreign policy.

Because the Russians get to know from a United States Senator... that happens to be affiliated with the Trump campaign... how their candidate views things like...I don't know...sanctions against Russia.

And Sessions told Franken flat out during his confirmation that he did not meet with any Russians.

And just like Jared Kushner, and Michael Flynn, and Paul Manafort, and Don Jr., and, and, and?

He lied. And then changed his story and expected everyone to forget the past.

But you know who is really good at remembering the past?

SENATOR AL FRANKEN: You've said today in response to Senator Leahy that you don't recall whether you talked about the campaign, you don't recall whether you talked about issues and Trump's views on issues with Russia. Those are very, very relevant to the campaign. Whether a surrogate from the campaign is talking with the Russian ambassador about the candidate's views on Russian policy especially at the Republican National Convention, at the Mayflower Hotel the day before Trump is going to give his first -- his maiden speech on foreign policy. That's very different not being able to recall what you discussed with him... is very different than saying "I have not had communications with the Russians." The ambassador from Russia is Russian. And how your justification or how your responses morphed from "I did not have communications with the Russians" to "did not discuss substantive -- I did not discuss the political campaign" and then finally going to "I did not discuss interference in the election", that to me is moving the goalpost every time. And we're starting off with an extra -- and by the end, we're going to you know, a 75-yard field goal. If it has to be us, you know, saying "I didn't discuss interfering with the election" is your last, is your last statement, that's a very different bar than "I can tell you I did not meet with any Russians."

JEFF SESSIONS: So he gets to do about ten minutes improperly framing this subject and I'm given a short chance to respond?

Complaining about the time when Al Franken just pointed out four, count 'em, four different versions of your answers to one question -- is pure obfuscation, Mr. Sessions. But keep fanning your petticoat and saying 'I do declare!', because the Republican Senate is not going to do a damn thing to punish you for lying to them in contempt of Congress.

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