UPDATE: AG Jefferson Beauregard “Jeff” Sessions III Must Resign Now

Yep, here’s my guy ... the floor's all yours, Jeff, go get 'em

Yes, I met with the Russian Ambassador twice 

but wouldn't call that communicating

A truly fast-moving story - the latest just in headlines:

Donald Trump Jr. Was Likely Paid at Least $50,000 for Event Held by Hosts Allied With Russia on Syria

October appearance by son of then-candidate is one of string of contacts between members of the president’s inner circle and individuals connected to Moscow

Impact, if any and I think there is: 

Donald Trump Jr. serves as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, a real-estate company founded by his father, and he was a top official in his father’s presidential campaign.

Sen. Schumer (about Sessions meeting with the Russian Ambassador): “There was nothing wrong with Sessions meeting with the Russian ambassador, but that he transgressed by misleading lawmakers about whether he met with Sergey Kislyak in July and September.”

(I note: Like Sessions told Sen. Franken in his confirmation hearing in response to this Franken question - remember):

Sen. Franken: “What would you do if he learned of any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign had communicated with the Russian government in the course of the 2016 campaign?”

Sessions clearly answered: “I’m not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.” 

(Note: meeting face-to-face is a form of communications, Mr. Sessions….!!!)

Schumer then added: “If there was nothing wrong, why didn't you come clean to Congress and tell the whole truth?”

(I note: this is the key question – why)?

Had Sessions been truthful in his answer to Sen. Franken, and said, “Yes, I met with the Russian Ambassador in my Senate office, blaa blaa, blaa.” At that point, possible follow up questions would have been in order, but since they’re were not, WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THAT WOULD HAVE LED AND THAT IS ANOTHER THE CRITICAL POINT – we do not know and we need to know – not well after the fact now since Sessions is the AG.

Further and separate but related as part of the written materials accompanying the confirmation process, Sessions was asked by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), “Several of the president-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after Election Day?”

Sessions replied with a firm: “No”

Now however, both statements are sufficiently close to perjury to warrant an immediate FBI investigation. Why?

Federal law defines perjury as when an individual under oath, “willfully and contrary to such oath states or subscribes any material matter which he does not believe to be true.” In Sessions’ case it now depends on the word “willfully.”

(I note and recall: That this sounds a bit lot like Bill Clinton did during the Lewinsky impeachment scandal investigation when he tried to clarify his previous contention about his previous statement that, “there's nothing going on between us” had been truthful because he had no ongoing relationship with Lewinsky at the time he was questioned. He further and famously said: “It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is.” And here we are today trying to define what willfully means in this Sessions mess).  

Clearly, Sessions’ statements were material. They are crucial matters of national security. It’s also clear that his response to Sen. Franken was inaccurate, and the accuracy of his response to Leahy hangs on the phrase: “about the 2016 election,” since we don’t know what he and the Russian ambassador discussed.

(I note: This is the exact same point I raised above – we simply do not know but we need to know the truth and the whole truth and nothing but the truth as most oaths imply).

Now Sessions is tap dancing and the administration is making excuses left and right trying to cover Sessions’ ass as well as their own.

For example, Sessions spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores, confirmed Wednesday (to NBC News) night that Sessions had met with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. before the presidential election last year in his capacity as a then-senator.  Flores said AG Sessions was a prominent Trump surrogate did have a conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Flores continues: “There was absolutely nothing misleading about his answer because Sessions was asked about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign and not about meetings he took as a senator with the Armed Services Committee.”

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT) Chair of the House Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, said Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation precisely “because of how he answered his question in his testimony.”

The White House is says: Partisan Democrats were pouncing on Sessions unfairly. General Sessions met with the ambassador in an official capacity as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“That is entirely consistent with his testimony,” said White House Dep. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and she added: “It's no surprise Senator Al Franken is pushing this story immediately following President Trump's successful address to the nation.”

However, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned why Sessions would even meet with the Russian ambassador, adding: “I've been on the Armed Services Committee for 10 years. No call or meeting w/Russian ambassador. Ever.”  

Democrats now are calling for a select committee or special prosecutor to delve further into whether the Russians yielded influence on the campaign in favor of the Republican nominee Donald Trump. Conversely, most Republicans have stopped short of demanding such an investigation.

Impact: Questions will continue to mount over all of this – from the initial allegation that Moscow meddled in the November election to reports that Trump's presidential campaign staffers had contact with the Russians to recently with former NSC adviser Mike Flynn resigning over his contact with the Russian ambassador and lying about that to the VP Pence and others.

Sessions looking for a clean way to clear out. HINT: Just one – RESIGN…

  

Finally, this for AG Sessions – Pop Quiz:

Q:  How many different types of communication are there?

A:  There are 4 main kinds or types of communication: (1) written, (2) verbal, (3) nonverbal, and (4) visual.

1.  Written communication includes email, text messages, signs, letters, magazines, books, and anything else transcribed into typed or handwritten words and symbols.

2.  Verbal communication is auditory (that is like voice like in a face-to-face meeting in your senate office with the Russian Ambassador and saying it IS NOT “communications”).

3.  Non-verbal communication is body language and gestures (police traffic officer arm and hand signals, or the middle finger during road rage, or finger on lips means be quiet, etc.). 

4.  Visual would be all kinds of signs, traffic lights, police or ambulance sirens, air raid or tornado sirens, and yellow lights and such seen at construction sites, etc.

CONTINUE READING

B/L: Sessions must resign and if he will not, then Mr. Trump must tell him to step down – and immediately.

Original post based on this breaking story from here (Washington Post) and then on top of that, Sessions lied under oath at his confirmation hearing, cite the exchange below this headline:

Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose

At his January 10 Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Jeff Sessions was asked by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) what he would do if he learned of any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of the 2016 campaign.

Sessions responded: “I’m not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.” 

And, the prick said that under oath and now he is serving as the Attorney General of the United States...!!! Wow.

He has to resign or be impeached immediately. No doubt about it.

And, thank goodness for the Washington Post … I’m sure Trump is having kittens right about now and I can just hear him: 

“Fake news I tell you, all baloney, fake news, fake… bigly. SAD…!!!”

Whew boy.

This is not over yet – not by a long shot.