It was also the first time the attorney general testified to Congress Since recusing himself of the russia investigation back in march. Id like to call the hearing to order, please. Attorney general sessions, i appreciate your willingness to appear before the committee today. And thank you for your years of dedicated services as a member of this body and your recent leadership as the department of justice. As i mentioned when director comey appeared before us last week, this committees role is to be the eyes and ears for the other 85 members of the United States senate and for the American People. Ensuring that the Intelligence Community is operating lawfully and has the necessary tools to keep america safe. The community is large and diverse. We recognize the gravity of our investigation into russias interference in the 2016 u. S. Elections. But i remind our constituents that while we investigate russia, we are scrutinizing cias budget while were investigating russia, we are still scrutinizing cias budget, nsas 702 program, the nations Satellite Program and the effort to recruit and retain the best talent we can find in the world. More often than not, the committee conducts its work behind closed doors, a necessary step to ensure that our most sensitive sources and methods are protected. The sanctitity of these sources and methods are at the heart of the ability to keep us safe and to keep our allies safe from those who seek to harm us. Ive said i did not believe any committee that the committee does should be done in public. But i also recognize the gravity of the committees current investigation and the need for the American People to be presented the facts so that they might make their own judgments. It is for that reason that this committee has now held its 10th open hearing of 2017. More than double that of the committee in recent years and the fifth on the topic of russian interference. Attorney general sessions, this venue is your opportunity to separate fact from fiction. And to set the record straight on a number of allegations reported in the prez. For example, there are several issues that im hopeful we will address today. One, did you have any meetings with russian officials or their proxies on behalf of the Trump Campaign or during your time as attorney general. Two, what was your involvement with candidate trumps Foreign Policy team and what were their possible interactions are russians . Three, why did you decide to recuse yourself from the governments russia investigation and fourth, what role, if any, did you play in the removal of then fbi director comey. I look forward to a candid and honest discussion as we continue to pursue the truth behind russias interference in the 2016 elections. The committees experienced staff is interviewing people having spoken to more than 35 individuals to date to include just yesterday an interview of former Homeland Security secretary jeh johnson. We also continue to review some of the most sensitive intelligence in our countrys possession. As ive said previously, we will establish the facts, separate from rampant speculation and lay them out for the American People to make their own judgment. Only then will we as a nation be able to put this episode to rest and look to the future. Im hopeful that members will focus their questions today on the russia investigation and not squander the opportunity by taking political or partisan shots. Is vice chairman and i continue to lead the investigation together on what is a highly charged political issue. We may disagree at times, but we remain a unified team with a dedica dedicated, focussed, and professional staff working tirelessly on behalf of the American People to find the truth. The committee has made much progress as the political winds blow forcefully around us, and i think all members would agree that despite a torrent of public debate on who and what committee might be bestsuited to lead on this issue, the Intelligence Committee has lived up to its obligation to move forward with purpose and above politics. Mr. Attorney general, its good to have you back. I would now turn to the vice chairman for my remarks he might have. Thank you. I want to also thank the way were proceeding on this investigation. Mr. Attorney general, its good to see you again. And we appreciate your appearance on the heals of mr. Comeys revealing testimony last week. I do want to take a moment at the outset and First Express some concern with the process by which we are seeing you, attorney general, today. Its my understanding that you were originally scheduled to testify in front of the house and Senate Appropriations committees today. I know those appearances have been cancelled to come here instead. While we appreciate this testimony before our committee, i believe and i speak i believe i speak for many of my colleagues, that i believe you should also answer questions for members of those committees and the Judiciary Committee as well. Attorney general, its my hope youll reschedule those appearances as soon as possible. In addition, i want to say at the outset that while we consider your appearance today as just the beginning of our interaction with you and your department, mr. Attorney general, we always expected to talk to you as part of our investigation. We believed it would be actually later in the process. Were glad to accommodate your request to speak to us today, but we also expect to have your commitment to cooperate with all future requests and to make yourself available as necessary to this committee for as the chairman indicated, this very important investigation. Now, lets move to the subject of todays discussion. Lets start with the campaign. You were an early and ar dant supporter of mr. Trump. In march you were named as chairman of the National Security advisory committee. You were a strategic adviser who helped shape much of the campaigns National Security strategy. No doubt, you will have key insights about some of the key Trump Associates that were seeking to hear from in the weeks ahead. Questions have also been raised about some of your own interactions with russian officials during the campaign. During your confirmation hearing in january you said, quote, you did not have communications with russians. Senator leahy later asked you in writing if youd been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the russian government about any part of the election. You said no. Despite that fact, the fact is as discovered later, you did have interactions are russian government officials during the course of campaign. We also heard that director comey took it as a direction former National Security adviser mike flynn. Finally, we heard from mr. Comey that he believes he was fired over his handling of the Russian Investigation. On both sides of the aisle preserving the independence of the fbi. By the president plus leaders in the Intelligence Committee to undermine this same investigation. United states can and must be a leader but it would require our administration. Finally, in the past several weeks, weve seen a concerning pattern of the administration please be seated. Thank you, very much, chairman burr, and Ranking Member warner for allowing me to appear before the committee today. I appreciate the committees important effort to investigate russian interference with our democratic process. Such interference can never be tolerated and i encourage any effort to get to the bottom of any such allegations. As you know, the Deputy Attorney where then has appointed a special counsel to investigate the matters related to the russians interference in the 2016 election. I am here today to address several issues that have been specifically raised before this committee. And i appreciate the opportunity to respond to questions as fully as the lord enables me to do so. But as i advise you, mr. Chairman, and consistent with Longstanding Department of justice practice, i cannot and will not violate my duty to protect the Confidential Communications i have with the president. Now, let me address some issues directly. I did not have any private meetings nor do i recall any conversations with any russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel. I did not attend any meetings at that event separate, prior to the speech i attended by the president today. I attended a reception with my staff that included at least two dozen people and President Trump, though i do recall several conversations that i had during that prespeech reception. I do not have any recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian Ambassador or any other russian official. If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian Ambassador during that reception, i did not remember it. After the speech, i was interviewed by the news media, there was an area for that, in a different room. Then i left the hotel. Whether i attended a reception where the Russian Ambassador was also present. The Trump Campaign. Had aware of any collusion with the russian government to hurt this country, which i have served with honor for 35 years, or to under mine the integrity of our democratic process is an appalling and detestable lie. Related, there is the assertion that i did not answer senator frankens question honestly at my confirmation hearing. Colleagues, that is false. I cant say colleagues now. Im no longer a part of this body. But former colleagues, that is false. This is what happened. Senator franken asked me a rambling question after some six hours of testimony that included dramatic new allegations that the United StatesIntelligence Community, the u. S. Intelligence community, had advised president elect trump, quote, that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between trump surrogates and intermediaries for the russian government, close quote. I was taken aback by that explosive allegation which he said was being reported as breaking news that very day, and which i had not heard. I wanted to refute that immediately. Any suggestion that i was part of such an activity. I replied, quote, i replied to senator franken this way, quote, senator franken, im not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate a time or two in that campaign and i did not didnt have, did not have communications with the russians and im unable to comment on it, close quote. That was the context in which i was asked the question. And in that context, my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as i understood it. I was responding to this allegation that surrogates had been meeting with the russians on a regular basis. It simply did not occur to me to go further than the context of the question and to list any conversations that i may have had with russians in routine situations as i had many routine meetings with other foreign officials. So please hear me now. It was only in march, after my confirmation hearing, that a reporter asked my spokesperson whether i had ever met with any russian officials. This was the first time that question had squarely been posed to me. On the same day, we provided that reporter with the information related to the meeting that i and my staff had held in my Senate Office with ambassador kislyak as well as the brief encounter in july after a speech that i had given during the convention in cleveland, ohio. I also provided the reporter with a list of 25 foreign ambassador meetings that i had had during 2016. In addition, i provided supplemental testimony to the senate Judiciary Committee to explain this event. So i readily acknowledged these two meetings and certainly not one thing happened that was improper in any one of those meetings. Let me also explain clearly the circumstances of my recusal from the investigation into the russian interference with the 2016 election. Please, please, hear me on this. I was sworn in as attorney general on thursday, february 9th. The very next day, as i had promised to the Judiciary Committee i would do, at least at an early date, i met with Career Department officials, including a senior ethics official, to discuss some things publicly reported in the press that might have some bearing on whether or not i should recuse myself in this case. From that point, february 10th, until i announced my formal recusal on march 2nd, i was never briefed on any investigative details, did not access any information about the investigation. I received only the limited information that the Department Career officials determined was necessary for me to form and make a recusal decision. As such, i have no knowledge about this investigation as it is ongoing today beyond what has been publicly reported. I dont even read that carefully. And i have taken no act whatsoever with regard to any such investigation. On the date of my formal recusal, my chief of staff sent an email to the heads of relevant departments, including by name to director comey of the fbi, to instruct them to inform their staff of this recusal and to advise them not to brief me or involve me in any way, in any such matters, and in fact they have not. Importantly, i recused myself not because of any asserted wrongdoing or any belief that i may have been involved in any wrongdoing in the campaign, but because a department of justice regulation, 28 cfr 45. 2, i felt required it. That regulation states in effect that Department Employees should not participate in investigation of a campaign if they served as a campaign adviser. So the scope of my recusal, however, does not and cannot interfere with my ability to oversee the department of justice, including the fbi which has an 8 billion budget and 35,000 employees. I presented to the president my concerns and those of Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein, about the ongoing leadership issues at the fbi as stated in my letter recommending the removal of mr. Comey along with the Department Attorney generals memorandum on that issue, which have been released publicly by the white house. Those represent a clear statement of my views. I adopted Deputy Attorney general rosensteins points that he made in his memorandum and made may recommendation. It is absurd, frankly, to suggest that a recusal from a single specific investigation with render the attorney general unable to manage the leadership of the various department of justice Law Enforcement components that conduct thousands of investigations. Finally, during his testimony, mr. Comey discussed a conversation that he and i had about the meeting mr. Comey had with the president. I am happy to share with the committee my recollection of that conversation that i had with mr. Comey. Following a routine morning threat briefing, mr. Comey spoke to me and my chief of staff. While he did not provide me with any of the substance of his conversation with the president , apparently the day before, mr. Comey expressed concern about Proper Communications protocol with the white house and with the president. I responded, he didnt recall this, but i responded to his comment by agreeing that the fbi and the department of justice needed to be careful to follow Department Policies regarding appropriate contacts with the white house. Mr. Comey had served in the department for better than two decades and i was confident that he understood and would abide by the wellestablished rules limiting communications with the white house, especially about Ongoing Investigations. Thats whats so important to control. My comments encouraged him to do just that. And indeed, as i understand it, he in fact did that. Our department of justice rules on Proper Communications between the department and the white house have been in place for years. Mr. Comey well knew them. I thought and assumed correctly that he complied with them. Ill finish with this. I recused myself from any investigation into the campaign for president. But i did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations. At all times throughout the course of the campaign, the confirmation process, and since becoming attorney general, i have dedicated myself to the highest standards. Ive earned a reputation for that at home and in this body, i believe, over decades of performance. The people of this country expect an honest and transparent government. And thats what were giving them. This president wants to focus on the people of this country to ensure they are treated fairly and kept safe. The trump agenda is to improve the lives of the American People. I know some have different ways of achieving this and different agendas. But that is his agenda and its one i share. Importantly, as attorney general, i have a responsibility to enforce the laws of this nation, to protect this country from its enemies, and to ensure the Fair Administration of justice. And i intend to work every day with our fine team and the superb professionals in the department of justice to advance the important wor