Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Russians

[Phil1111 930]

Richard Painter, the former White House ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007, blasted Attorney General Jeff Sessions after it was reported that he spoke with the Russian ambassador while Trump was on the campaign trail.

When asked in the hypothetical during his confirmation hearing as Attorney General what he would do if he learned a member of Trump's campaign had communicated with the Russian government over the course of the 2016 campaign, Sessions responded: “I’m not aware of any of those activities ... I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”

Officials said Sessions did not consider his conversations with Kislyak relevant to the lawmakers’ questions and did not remember their discussion in detail. And as a senior member of the committee, he regularly met foreign ambassadors, his spokeswoman said.

Painter blasted the statement on Twitter.

"Misleading the Senate in sworn testimony about one own contacts with the Russians is a good way to go to jail," Painter tweeted.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/321936-ethics-lawyer-to-george-w-bush-on-sessions-talks-with-russa

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Wednesday said that if the FBI finds any criminal activity related to President Trump campaign aides' alleged contact with Russian officials, then Attorney General Jeff Sessions should step aside for a special prosecutor.

“If there is something there, and it goes up the chain of investigation, it is clear to me, that Jeff Sessions, who is my dear friend, cannot make this decision about Trump,” Graham said at a CNN town hall Wednesday night.

"The question was presented to Graham following a report in the Washington Post that Sessions spoke to Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, during the presidential campaign.

“There may be nothing there,” Graham said. “But if there is something there, that the FBI believes is criminal in nature, then for sure you need a special prosecutor.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/321933-graham-special-prosecutor-necessary-if-fbi-finds-criminal-activity-in-russia

[kallend 1,666]

This administration is shot through with corruption and liars.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[headoverheels 292]

kallend

This administration is shot through with corruption and liars.

Being shot through would be a good start.

[winsor 187]

It blows me away that so many people expect to get away with lying about easily checked information.

If Sessions had said "sure I keep in touch with the Russians - the policy is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer," he'd be fine.

If Martha Stewart had responded to questions about insider trading by saying "I tried to talk to the CEO of Imclone, but he was sobbing and saying 'I don't want to live!' so I called my broker and told him to sell," she might have stayed out of jail.

If W. J. Clinton, when asked about the porky little intern, had said "well, she claimed she could suck a golf ball through 20 feet of garden hose and I called her on it - turns out she was right," he might have kept his law license.

In any event, regardless of the Russian angle, my concern is that Sessions is too stupid to hold the position. Simply being despicable would have been consistent with the traditional occupants of the position.


BSBD,

Winsor

[headoverheels 292]

Maybe they should have let Warren finish reading Coretta Scott King's letter.

[timski 80]

He has been asked for his resignation. Can't come fast enough.

[tkhayes 142]

Asked for by the Democrats. Which is meaningless. I will see if Trump actually sacks him, but I doubt it. The Russian connection is CENTRAL to the Trump plan and there is no other way that they can corner all the wealth in the world for his friends and oligarchs without that connection.

[rushmc 18]

kallend

This administration is shot through with corruption and liars.

Don't you guys ever get tired of looking stupid?

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[Phil1111 930]

IMO everything went downhill the day Clinton stated on camera.
"I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

He should have been jailed for that. Because now the situation has developed where habitual lying is tolerated.

[NewGuy2005 51]

Phil1111

IMO everything went downhill the day Clinton stated on camera.
"I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

He should have been jailed for that. Because now the situation has developed where habitual lying is tolerated.

On the surface, that sounds pretty silly, but now that you mention it, that was one heck of a precedent.

[ryoder 1,404]

NewGuy2005

***IMO everything went downhill the day Clinton stated on camera.
"I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

He should have been jailed for that. Because now the situation has developed where habitual lying is tolerated.

On the surface, that sounds pretty silly, but now that you mention it, that was one heck of a precedent.

And here is a politician in 1999 vigorously condemning that: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jeff-sessions-perjury-bill-clinton-1999-under-oath-senate-confirmation-russia-links-donald-trump-a7607206.html

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[tkhayes 142]

Even if Clinton was absolutely tried and convicted of outright lying with a video of him and Monica surfacing....I doubt that the offense of that lie is equal to jail time.

And even in Sessions case, these are not treasonous charges, unless of course treasonous activities can be proven beyond a doubt.

Resignation? Absolutely. Jail time for lying? It is the American way after-all - it is in the Constitution. All you have to be able to say is "This is what I believe to be true" even if it is not. It's called free speech.

[JerryBaumchen 1,074]

Hi rush,

Quote

looking stupid

Psst, guess what, nobody pays any attention to you anymore.

Jerry Baumchen

[Phil1111 930]

tkhayes

Even if Clinton was absolutely tried and convicted of outright lying with a video of him and Monica surfacing....I doubt that the offense of that lie is equal to jail time.

And even in Sessions case, these are not treasonous charges, unless of course treasonous activities can be proven beyond a doubt.

Resignation? Absolutely. Jail time for lying? It is the American way after-all - it is in the Constitution. All you have to be able to say is "This is what I believe to be true" even if it is not. It's called free speech.

The essence of that lie ended up in the Starr report whereby he concluded that Clinton had lied under oath and obstructed justice. All arising from the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former Arkansas government employee, Paula Jones.

The statement rings in my mind because when he made that statement I took it to be the complete end. The nail in the coffin so the speak of the Monica Lewinsky matter. Which in a round about way led to Starr and finally a $90,000 fine and disbarment for five years.

We went from $90 million for the Clinton investigation. To habitual lying, to Counselor to the President for Donald Trump(Ms. Conway) selling shoes in a Presidential Press conference, to “Except as otherwise provided in such sections, the terms ‘officer’ and ’employee’ in sections 203, 205, 207 through 209, and 218 of this title shall not include the President, the Vice President, a Member of Congress, or a Federal judge.” As the absolute backstop to self enrichment.

So for a president, vice president, a congressman, or a federal judge. No real sanctions apply. A lawyer, $90,000 fine and disbarment for five years.

For others a joint and black skin, go straight to jail.

[catfishhunter 1]

Does it hurt? I can only imagine it must hurt really bad to be that.....

He didn't lie. He was asked a pointed question. Did he speak to the Russians ABOUT the campaign. NO he did not. He was not asked did he speak to any Russian because well that would be retarded to ask as he was on the Armed Services committee so they already knew he spoke to someone form Russia as that was his JOB! He was not a member of Trumps election team he was a Senator whose Job it was to speak to foreign diplomats..So I ask again does it hurt?

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[billvon 2,462]

>He didn't lie. . . .He was not asked did he speak to any Russian because well that
>would be retarded to ask as he was on the Armed Services committee so they
>already knew he spoke to someone form Russia as that was his JOB!

Then why did he lie?

=================
Franken: If there was any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what would you do?

Sessions: I'm not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians. Uh. And I’m unable to comment.
==================
Leahy: Several of the President-elect's nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?

SESSIONS: No.
==================

Those are called lies in the real world.

[Phil1111 930]

catfishhunter

Does it hurt? I can only imagine it must hurt really bad to be that.....

He didn't lie. He was asked a pointed question. Did he speak to the Russians ABOUT the campaign. NO he did not. He was not asked did he speak to any Russian because well that would be retarded to ask as he was on the Armed Services committee so they already knew he spoke to someone form Russia as that was his JOB! He was not a member of Trumps election team he was a Senator whose Job it was to speak to foreign diplomats..So I ask again does it hurt?

"In Trump’s GOP, Jeff Sessions goes from fringe to prime time

But in the party of Trump, Sessions is at the center of the action. He was an early backer of the real estate mogul’s candidacy, when most Republican officials were denouncing Trump’s comments about Mexicans and his promise to build a wall on the southern border. He is one of Trump’s most trusted policy advisers, assisting with his selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate. And with a prime-time speaking slot Monday night at the Republican National Convention, Sessions is a living symbol of an upside-down GOP in which a largely sideline player can become a heavyweight...

As Trump gained momentum last year, the two men appeared drawn to each other.

At a rally in Mobile last August, several months before Sessions would endorse him, Trump appeared with the senator, praising him as one of the few politicians he held in high regard, particularly when it came to immigration.

“We have a great politician here,” Trump said. “We have a man here who really helped me. I sought his counsel because he’s been so spot on, he’s so highly respected.”

Sessions has helped craft Trump’s immigration platform, chaired his national security advisory committee, loaned him a top communications aide specializing in immigration and counseled him on whom to add to his ticket as vice president...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-trumps-gop-sessions-rockets-from-the-fringe-to-prime-time/2016/07/18/1fc04d14-490b-11e6-acbc-4d4870a079da_story.html?utm_term=.62c72a68c27d

'WASHINGTON – Sen. Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff has earned $27,175 working on Donald Trump's presidential campaign, according to the campaign’s expenditure reports.

Rick Dearborn is listed as a policy consultant for the Trump campaign, which paid him the lump sum on June 29.

Sessions, R-Ala., who endorsed Trump Feb. 28, was the first senator to do so. Dearborn started working on Trump’s behalf soon after that.

Ethics rules allow Senate staffers to work on political campaigns while keeping their Senate jobs, but they must do the campaign work on their own time and cannot use official Senate resources. Staffers also must work at least one full day a week in the Senate office in order to continue to receive their Senate salary, according to the rules.

Dearborn remains on Sessions’ staff and has not taken a leave of absence, said Christopher Jackson, a spokesman for Sessions.

“We have followed all of the ethics guidelines,” he said.

Ethics rules also state that Senate employees earning more than $123,175 this year may not earn more than $27,495 in outside income. Dearborn’s annual Senate salary is $169,459, and his payment from the Trump campaign is $320 less than the cap.

At the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, Sessions said Dearborn was using his vacation time to work for Trump. Dearborn was a floor whip for the Trump campaign at the convention, managing seating areas in and around the Alabama delegation.

“I think he’s running this whole place,” Sessions said at the convention. “He’s just in the middle of it and he can make decisions just like that and people are coming up to him and he’s telling everybody what to do. I don’t even think they know how much he’s running this place. He’s just doing a great job.”

Sen. Jeff Sessions says Donald Trump is redefining conservatism

Over the summer, Dearborn was identified as one of Trump’s liaisons to Capitol Hill and a leader in his Washington-based policy office. On Sept. 8, the Washington Post reported that the policy office had largely disbanded after several staffers quit in August, saying they weren't paid as promised. Some of the former staffers did not blame Dearborn for the nonpayment.

The only other Trump campaign payments to Dearborn were travel reimbursements in May, June, July and August, totaling $982.

Dearborn is not the only Sessions staffer to work on Trump’s campaign. Former Communications Director Stephen Miller, who left Sessions’ staff in January, is listed on Trump's payroll earning $12,500 per month, according to Trump’s expenditure report for August.

Dearborn joined Sessions’ Senate staff in 1997 and was his legislative director for more than six years. He left to work in the Energy Department under then-President George W. Bush, and returned to Sessions’ staff in 2004 as chief of staff.

Contributing: Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/23/sen-sessions-chief-staff-also-paid-donald-trump/90913292/

So Stephen Miller, Sessions and trump worked hand in glove from the start of trumps campaign. Sessions was one of the FIRST to back trump. One of his closest advisors. Sessions then lent him a staffer for the whole campaign and in a sham violation of the ethics guidelines maintained that he was only working weekends for trump. While he personally stated " “I think he’s running this whole place,” Sessions said at the convention. “He’s just in the middle of it and he can make decisions just like that and people are coming up to him and he’s telling everybody what to do. I don’t even think they know how much he’s running this place. He’s just doing a great job.”

If his lying under oath wasn't enough. Using his government paid staff for trumps campaign should define how the swamp smells.

So no it doesn't hurt because your understanding of the close relationship between the two, is lacking.

[tigra 0]

He did lie but I like your KellyAnne take on the truth.

[catfishhunter 1]

Sigh. He did NOT lie. He was asked a specific question. Did you discuss the Election as a member of trumps campaign with the Russians. NO that is not a lie. He was not asked did he meet with any Russian as a Senator because that would be retarded as that's his job. Just because you are not capable of comprehension doesn't mean someone lied. It means you are incapable of comprehension.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[DanG 1]

Where do you get the idea that the job of Senators on the Armed Services Committee is to meet with Russians?

Foreign Relations Committee, maybe. Armed Services Committee, I think that would be unusual.

And maybe you're heard about this thing called the State Department. It's part of the Executive Branch, look it up. The Constitution charges them with conducting foreign policy, not Senators on the Armed Services Committee.

- Dan G

[tigra 0]

Athletes went to jail for "lying" to a congressional committee about steroid use even though in some cases there were no failed drug tests or proof they ever used steroids.

Shouldn't our leaders be held to a higher standard than a track star?

[rushmc 18]

JerryBaumchen

Hi rush,

Quote

looking stupid

Psst, guess what, nobody pays any attention to you anymore.

Jerry Baumchen

But I pay attention to you guys.

I gotta say watching you all swallow the tripe from ABC the Times and (com)Post is very entertaining.

Please, carry on

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 18]

catfishhunter

Does it hurt? I can only imagine it must hurt really bad to be that.....

He didn't lie. He was asked a pointed question. Did he speak to the Russians ABOUT the campaign. NO he did not. He was not asked did he speak to any Russian because well that would be retarded to ask as he was on the Armed Services committee so they already knew he spoke to someone form Russia as that was his JOB! He was not a member of Trumps election team he was a Senator whose Job it was to speak to foreign diplomats..So I ask again does it hurt?

Shhhhhhhh
This is to fun to watch

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 18]

billvon

>He didn't lie. . . .He was not asked did he speak to any Russian because well that
>would be retarded to ask as he was on the Armed Services committee so they
>already knew he spoke to someone form Russia as that was his JOB!

Then why did he lie?

=================
Franken: If there was any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what would you do?

Sessions: I'm not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians. Uh. And I’m unable to comment.
==================
Leahy: Several of the President-elect's nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?

SESSIONS: No.
==================

Those are called lies in the real world.

Franken

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 18]

DanG

Where do you get the idea that the job of Senators on the Armed Services Committee is to meet with Russians?

Foreign Relations Committee, maybe. Armed Services Committee, I think that would be unusual.

And maybe you're heard about this thing called the State Department. It's part of the Executive Branch, look it up. The Constitution charges them with conducting foreign policy, not Senators on the Armed Services Committee.

Most of the committee did.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln