The Trump White House is once again in turmoil after it was revealed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions failed to disclose contacts he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States during last year's election campaign.
Mr. Sessions was only sworn into office three weeks ago, and is the head of the Justice Department - the very government department the would ultimately have to decide whether to bring charges against any of President Trump's top aides.
The White House is standing by him, but our Washington Correspondent Simon Marks reports that the Attorney General is now in very grave political and legal jeopardy.
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The latest headlines don't just make unwelcome reading for President Trump.
They amount to a full-blown crisis for his young government.
The revelations focus on Attorney General Jeff Sessions….sworn into office by President Trump less than a month ago.
He appears to have lied to Congress about whether he had any contacts with Russian government officials during last year's election, when he was a prominent supporter of - and surrogate for - Donald Trump on the campaign trail.
This is what he said under oath during his confirmation hearing.
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It's now apparent that was not true.
He personally had contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States….but was not aware those contacts were under FBI investigation.
As head of the Justice Department, Jeff Sessions is the man supposed to be overseeing any inquiry into President Trump's ties to Russia.
But now he appears compromised himself.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican, told a town hall meeting televised on CNN that it seems impossible for the Attorney General to play any further role investigating Russian interference in last year's campaign.
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The appointment of a "special prosecutor" is the nightmare scenario for the White House, and in a hastily released late night statement the President's press secretary insisted the Attorney General had not deliberately sought to mislead Congress.
But his words on tape tell a different story….and Mr. Sessionsl himself is now likely to become the target of a criminal probe to investigate whether he perjured himself in his testimony.
It all adds up to a monumental crisis for President Trump….with Democrats insisting the Attorney General must resign….and even Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee now conceding they have no choice but to investigate links between Donald Trump, his top aides, and the Russians.
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