The Attorney General of the United States has called any suggestion that he colluded with the Russians during last year's Presidential election a "detestable lie".
In two and a half hour of contentious questioning Jeff Sessions assured members of the Senate Foreign Intelligence Committee that he wasn't trying to "stonewall" them.
But, to the irritation of several Committee members, he refused to discuss conversations that he's had with President Trump, even though the White House has not taken steps to protect the confidentiality of those discussions.
He did confirm some of the allegations made last week by former FBI Director James Comey who claimed President Trump had 9 one-on-one conversations with him that he deemed inappropriate.
Our Washington Correspondent Simon Marks reports.
IN: "In his prepared…."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 3:42
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-arn.mp3
938 LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-938.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-fm4.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-von.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-ziz.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0613sessionspkg-sm-generic.mp3
In his prepared opening remarks, Jeff Sessions came out swinging.
He'd never engaged in collusive conversations with Russian officials.
He'd never had a previously undisclosed third meeting at the Mayflower Hotel with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak during last year's election campaign.
It all sounded like a declarative assertion of innocence as he read from his text.
AXX
So far so good.
But then he started facing questions….and his certainty about things melted away.
This was Jeff Sessions a few minutes later, pressed on whether he might, after all, have met the Russian Ambassador at that hotel when President Trump was making a big foreign policy address.
AXX
So far, so confusing.
Mr Sessions refused to be drawn on what he called "hypotheticals" - namely rumors sweeping Washington that President Trump is thinking of firing the Special Prosecutor currently heading the former FBI investigation into Russia.
The Attorney General steadfastly refused to answer any questions about his conversations with the President….even though the White House has not invoked "executive privilege" that would mask those conversations legally from investigators.
As he stonewalled the Committee…Jeff Sessions insisted he wasn't
Here's his exchange with Democrat Senator Ron Wyden.
AXX
And Senator Angus King, an independent, forced Jeff Sessions into another rhetorical thicket.
AXX
What we did learn from the Attorney General is that fired FBI Director James Comey did express anxiety about the nature of the conversations President Trump was conducting with him….although Mr. Sessions' view was James Comey could "handle himself well".
He also testified that at no point did he receive any kind of intelligence briefing regarding Russian interference in last year's election….or how to stop it from happening again.
That underscores the President's seeming lack of concern about Russian meddling that Mr. Comey last week said he found strange.
But as to the central issue: is President Trump lying when he says he never pressured Mr. Comey to curtail his investigation…..Mr. Sessions studiously refused to be drawn.
He was asked if he might say more in private, closed-door testimony.
His answer: "I'm not sure".
SOC