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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 02:36 PM Nov 2017

Looks like Jeff Sessions perjured himself.

Jeet Heer
3 hours ago

Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the election has entangled the attorney general. In his sworn testimony during his confirmation hearing in January, Sessions was asked by Senator Al Franken, “If there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what will you do?” Sessions responded: “Senator Franken, 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 didn’t have—did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment on it.”

But George Papadopoulos’s guilty plea indicates that there were attempts in the Trump campaign to arrange a meeting with Putin, and that Sessions was aware of them. As CNN reports this morning, “The chairman of Trump’s national security team, then Alabama Senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, shut down the idea of a Putin meeting at the March 31, 2016, gathering, according to the source. His reaction was confirmed with another source who had discussed Sessions’s role.”

The good news for Sessions is that he can plausibly claim to have opposed any Russian collusion. The bad news is that, in making those claims, he opens himself up to charges of perjury.

###

https://newrepublic.com/minutes/145614/looks-like-jeff-sessions-perjured-himself

30 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Looks like Jeff Sessions perjured himself. (Original Post) DonViejo Nov 2017 OP
Again? FSogol Nov 2017 #1
Since his confirmation hearing. L. Coyote Nov 2017 #20
Lordy I wonder what plans MontanaMama Nov 2017 #2
So whats new? Freethinker65 Nov 2017 #3
That's a huge stretch (in this specific case) FBaggins Nov 2017 #4
Do you actually think Mueller doesn't already know if DURHAM D Nov 2017 #5
He probably does... FBaggins Nov 2017 #6
We already have some of this information marylandblue Nov 2017 #7
The true identity of the Professor and niece is public info. L. Coyote Nov 2017 #22
What is her name? DURHAM D Nov 2017 #24
Natasha. L. Coyote Nov 2017 #28
'Im not aware of any of those activities.' lagomorph777 Nov 2017 #8
Perjury by this AG is the new normal. democratisphere Nov 2017 #9
Perjury so you can become the AG L. Coyote Nov 2017 #23
Probably not the only nasty thing he's done to himself... MineralMan Nov 2017 #10
please pass the mind bleach Raster Nov 2017 #14
Bad elf. Sneederbunk Nov 2017 #11
You might say a bad elf is a troll. The Velveteen Ocelot Nov 2017 #26
These people have no problem lying over and over again elias7 Nov 2017 #12
Meeting w Putin is not only way to collude. Prob was already a solid back channel & quid pro quo. nt Bernardo de La Paz Nov 2017 #13
right -- "russian *government*? no, we didn't talk to the *government*. just russian go-betweens." unblock Nov 2017 #15
How could we know Putin's niece was connected to Putin? marylandblue Nov 2017 #16
They would ask their pre-existing back channel "Who is this niece?". Bernardo de La Paz Nov 2017 #18
Sessions was chairman of the NATSEC comm., he was in charge of Papa, the boss guy. L. Coyote Nov 2017 #17
That's a stretch. Hard to prove he didn't forget. Honeycombe8 Nov 2017 #19
Now he is Miigwech Nov 2017 #21
oops RandiFan1290 Nov 2017 #25
republican Perjurer General is a disgrace Achilleaze Nov 2017 #27
Enjoy your new home Sessions workinclasszero Nov 2017 #29
Will he be given another chance to change his story Fullduplexxx Nov 2017 #30

MontanaMama

(23,368 posts)
2. Lordy I wonder what plans
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 02:39 PM
Nov 2017

were made to deny and obstruct at the lunch between the Elf and Dotard this past Monday?

FBaggins

(26,793 posts)
4. That's a huge stretch (in this specific case)
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 02:41 PM
Nov 2017

The "professor" and "Putin's niece" cannot be said to be "the Russian government".

Papadopoulos appears to have wanted to set up such a meeting... but Mueller needs to find that the meeting actually occurred before Sessions can be said to be lying on that question.

DURHAM D

(32,619 posts)
5. Do you actually think Mueller doesn't already know if
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 02:47 PM
Nov 2017

the meeting took place?

Further, Mueller likely knows the true identity of the Professor and niece. They are likely Russian agents. oops

FBaggins

(26,793 posts)
6. He probably does...
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 02:59 PM
Nov 2017

But WE don't know... and knowing that it DID occur (so far, the evidence appears to point the other way) is the only way that Sessions would be lying in that specific case.

Further, Mueller likely knows the true identity of the Professor and niece. They are likely Russian agents. oops

They almost certainly were (though I don't think Mueller knows specific identities)... but that doesn't really get us anywhere unless we later find out that the offer was picked up and accepted by the campaign and they then worked together to steal the election.

marylandblue

(12,344 posts)
7. We already have some of this information
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 03:10 PM
Nov 2017

The professor was identified in news reports as Joseph Mifsud. Carter Page went to Russia as "a private citizen" apparently meeting the criteria that Sam Clovis set out for a lower level person to go to Russia without raising alarms. And Sessions issued a blanket denial that he was not aware of any such activities. What he should have said was "that there some discussion of foreign trips but Trump only went to allied countries like Great Britain." That would have allowed him to be weaselly without perjury.

Bernardo de La Paz

(49,075 posts)
18. They would ask their pre-existing back channel "Who is this niece?".
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 04:15 PM
Nov 2017

They wouldn't need another channel going through a neophyte to mess up the already functional one.

L. Coyote

(51,129 posts)
17. Sessions was chairman of the NATSEC comm., he was in charge of Papa, the boss guy.
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 04:15 PM
Nov 2017


Funny how their spin now focuses on anything but the "dirt" offer, wherein the big crime lies. Funnier still, Trump's spin burns Sessions. He must be prepared to resign already.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
19. That's a stretch. Hard to prove he didn't forget.
Wed Nov 1, 2017, 04:17 PM
Nov 2017

It's possible to conclude he lied, but it's hard to prove he remembered but lied about it.

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