Wyden then asked about Sessions' interactions with James Comey, the ex-FBI director fired by President Trump.
Sessions, a former Republican US senator and an early supporter of Trump's presidential campaign, appeared before the committee just five days after Comey told the panel Trump ousted him to undermine the agency's investigation of the Russian Federation matter. Asked repeatedly about contacts between Russian officials and Trump campaign associates, himself included, as well as Comey's abrupt firing, Sessions either refused to comment or said he could not "recall" the specifics.
Sessions said under oath during his confirmation hearing that he had not had contact with the Russians during the election campaign, then admitted it to the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter when reports surfaced he indeed had meetings.
Mr Sessions argued that in the context of the hearing, "my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it".
While the Justice Department has said Sessions recused himself in March because of his involvement in Trump's campaign, Comey testified that the Federal Bureau of Investigation knew of information that would have made it "problematic" for Sessions to be involved.
Later Sen. Ron Wyden (D-WA) grilled Sessions on this recusal, using Comey's testimony to imply there was some damning unreleased information that informed Sessions's decision to recuse, leading to a heated exchange in which Wyden accused Sessions of "stonewalling" by refusing to discuss the limited information on the Russian Federation probe he did receive before that decision.
"Many have suggested that my recusal is because I felt I was a subject of the investigation myself, that I may have done something wrong", Sessions added. Instead, Sessions cited a "long-standing" Department of Justice policy as his reason for not sharing "private communications" with the president, while seemingly leaving the door open for Trump to invoke the privilege in the future.
Sessions says he was never briefed on Russian interference
A friend of Trump's said Monday that the President was considering taking just such a step. "I did", Sessions said. He said Sessions had a right to either answer, ask for a private hearing, or invoke executive privilege .
"I recused myself from any investigation into the campaigns for President, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations", Sessions said. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said.
When Wyden accused him of not answering the questions about Comey's reported remark that his behavior after recusing himself from the Russian Federation probe was "problematic", Sessions chuckled and then launched into his most theatrical defense of his actions. Can you tell us what policy it is you are talking about? There are none, Sen. "Cotton", he said. "It's just like 'Through the Looking Glass.' I mean, what is this?"
"I can not and will not violate my duty to protect the confidential communications I have with the president", he said.
". or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie", Sessions said, slamming shut his sentence with the word "lie" the way an attorney might drop a heavy book on a courtroom table during trial.
Asked what he would do if the president ordered him to fire Mueller, Rosenstein said, "I'm not going to follow any orders unless I believe those are lawful and appropriate orders". Mueller also won votes of support Tuesday from the top two Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, both of whom said they have confidence in him. He denied any ties between Donald Trump's campaign and Russian Federation, and told senators he was never filled in on the hacking details.
A smile spread across Sessions's face as he asked chuckling, "Well, what is the question?" "I'm not sure what was in his mind specifically".
Heinrich didn't buy Sessions' explanation that it was inappropriate for the attorney general to discuss his conversations with Trump, noting that Sessions had three buckets to choose from: He could either answer the question, discuss the matter in closed session if the topic was classified, or decline to talk based on presidential executive privilege.
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