During his questions, Cotton noted there's still no public evidence that anyone in the Trump campaign actively colluded with Russian Federation during the 2016 election.
JAMES COMEY: "I think it's described in a written release from DOJ which I don't remember sitting here, but the gist is he will be recused from all matters relating to Russian Federation or the campaign. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected with the Trump campaign". He answered more than twenty questions with some version of "I don't recall", "I don't recollect", or "I don't remember".
The first real fireworks flew nearly 90 minutes into the testimony. Sen.
The Attorney-General has been under a cloud since he recused himself from the Russia investigation amid suspicion over undeclared meetings with the Russian ambassador.
Democratic Sen Ron Wyden of OR asked Mr Sessions about suggestions arising from Mr Comey's testimony last week that there was something "problematic" about his recusal. "Wyden. There are none!" he said.
"I wouldn't think that would be appropriate for me to do", Sessions said.
Democratic senators pressed him on the legal rationale for his refusal to discuss those private conversations, as Sessions acknowledged that Trump had not asserted executive privilege around the hearing. A friend of Trump's said Monday that the President was considering taking just such a step.
At one point, Sen.
Sessions is the most senior member of Trump's administration caught up in the Russian Federation controversy.
"Some of that leaked out of the committee that [Comey] said in closed sessions", Session opined.
Heinrich interjected, saying, "That's because you're invoking executive privilege?" "It would be premature for me to deny the president a full and intelligent choice about executive privilege", Sessions said. Sen.
UVA issues statement student held by NKorea
And an upcoming cross-border visit by North Korean taekwondo athletes is expected to further fuel optimism. "We're working on it". The statement from Leigh contradicts the more serious claim North Korea made in May. "He is on a medivac flight on his way home".
KING: I'm not talking about the campaign.
He said it was "absurd" to suggest that his recusal from the Russian Federation probe would render him "unable to manage the leadership of the various Department of Justice law enforcement components that conduct thousands of investigations".
In general, as with most of the Russia-related hearings conducted by Congress, it was a tale of two parties. But that changed Tuesday, with a variety of Republicans coming to Sessions' (and the White House's) aide. John le Carre', Daniel Silva, Jason Matthews?
"He didn't ask", the official said, "but going into a hearing and saying we are going to do this ahead of time is not how the process works".
"Alan Furst. David Ignatius", he said.
"It's just like 'Through the Looking Glass.' I mean, what is this?".
"Do you like Jason Bourne or James Bond movies?" asked Cotton. He said that was required under Justice Department regulations because of his relationship with the Trump campaign, and that there were no other facts requiring his recusal.
COTTON: Have you ever in any of these fantastical situations heard of a plot line so ridiculous that a sitting United States senator and an ambassador of a foreign government colluded at an open setting with hundreds of other people to pull off the greatest caper in the history of espionage. He never, he insisted, knew anything about the Russian Federation probe or had any role in it.
When asked about President Trump's contention that he fired Mr Comey with the Russian Federation probe in mind, and regardless of any recommendation from anyone else, Senator Sessions said: "I guess I'll just have to let his words speak for themselves".
It will be the first sworn public testimony from Mr Sessions, a long time former senator, since he was confirmed as the nation's top law enforcement officer in February, and comes as political intrigue pulses through the USA capital following explosive testimony by Mr Comey last week.
The Justice Department has said Mr Sessions recused himself because his involvement in the campaign, but in his dramatic appearance last Thursday, Mr Comey said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was aware of information that would have made it "problematic" for Mr Sessions to be involved.
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