Attorney General Jeff Sessions has agreed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.
In a letter Saturday, Sessions writes that his decision comes in light of last week's testimony by fired FBI Director James Comey.
In letters Saturday to Senator Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama, and Representative John Culberson, Republican of Texas, Sessions said he'd concluded that regardless of which committees he appeared before, the questions would inevitably focus on the Russian probe. He explained that he was withdrawing from public testimony because he believes members of the committee intend to question him on "issues related to the investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election".
Sessions didn't mention any meeting with Kislyak as a senator during his confirmation process but later as attorney general he recused himself from the investigation into Russian meddling in the election.
Sessions had been scheduled to testify on the same day before the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees.
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Despite Sessions' admitted talks with Kislyak, he has been dogged by questions about possible additional encounters with the ambassador, including at a foreign policy conference more than a year ago at a hotel in Washington.
Trump at first maintained Comey had been fired as a result of discontent among the FBI agents he supervised, but a day later admitted that he fired the FBI chief as a outcome of the bureau's investigation of Russian meddling in USA politics. Trump attributed his May 9 dismissal of Comey to the Russian Federation investigation. "We also were aware of facts that I can't discuss in an opening setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic", Comey said.
"The Senate intelligence committee is the most appropriate forum for such matters, as it has been conducting an investigation and has access to relevant, classified information", he added.
The following day, Sessions recused himself from the Russian Federation probe, and several top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, demanded he resign.
Trump's lawyer said that the president has "never, in form or substance, directed or suggested that Mr. Comey stop investigating anyone" and there was some debate during Comey's testimony as to whether Trump's claim that he "hoped" Comey would ease off from Flynn constituted an order. "We will allow him to do his job".
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