The US Justice Department confirmed Tuesday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed last week by the office of the special counsel charged with investigating alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election cycle. The report highlights the first time that former FBI director Robert Mueller, now special counsel have questioned a member of President Trump’s cabinet. It shows how vigorous the probe is unfolding and how close to home the Mueller team is pursuing this, in an investigation which has clouded the one year long Trump presidency.
There have been talks between Trump’s personal lawyers and Mueller’s on a possible sit down with Trump in an interview. Former FBI Director James Comey who was fired in May 2017 has been interviewed by the special counsel office. The firing of Comey led to the appointment of Mueller to conduct the Russia investigation.
As a US Senator, Jeff Sessions was the Republican lawmaker to publicly endorse then-candidate Trump and served as foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. The President would later appoint him as the government top lawyer after his inauguration.
When reports surfaced last March of Sessions undisclosed 2016 meetings with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s then ambassador to the US, Trump publicly criticized Sessions for having recused himself from the Russia investigation.
The special counsel is expected to focus on Sessions meetings with Kislyak during the campaign and the AG involvement in the firing of Comey by Trump. A central issue which raises the question whether President Trump may have obstructed justice.
Brushing off questions at the White House, ”I’m not at all concerned.” says Trump to reporters about Sessions’ interview with Mueller’s team. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders declined to comment on specific interviews but reiterated that the White House will allow the process take its course. ”We’re going to be fully cooperative with the special counsel, we want to see this come to a complete and full conclusion.”
Neba Benson,
BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst
