Quotes by Jeff Sessions on Other Trump Campaign Member Contacts with Russians
THEN
NOW
Jan - Oct 2017
Nov 2017
Trump Campaign meet Russians? #JeffSessions 1/10/17: "I’m not aware of any of those activities." » #Sessions 11/14/17: "I do now recall ❲Papadopoulos discussing his Russia connections❳." Click To Tweet
Quotes by Sessions on Other Trump Campaign Member Contacts with Russians
THEN
Jan - Oct 2017
Sen. 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?”
- Jan 10, 2017
Senate Attorney General Confirmation Hearing
CNN, Nov 11, 2014
Jeff Sessions' many denials on Russia, explained
Sen. Al Franken: “You don’t believe that surrogates from the Trump campaign had communications with the Russians? Is that what you’re saying?”
- Oct 18, 2017
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
MSNBC (via Internet Archive), Nov 14, 2017
All In With Chris Hayes MSNBC November 14, 2017
NOW
Nov 2017
Nov 14, 2017 -
House Judiciary Committee hearing
CNN, Nov 14, 2017
Transcript: Continuing Coverage of House Judiciary Hearing. November 14, 2017
Nov 14, 2017 -
House Judiciary Committee hearing
MSNBC (via Internet Archive), Nov 14, 2017
All In With Chris Hayes MSNBC November 14, 2017
Nov 14, 2017 -
House Judiciary Committee hearing
CNN, Nov 14, 2017
Transcript: Continuing Coverage of House Judiciary Hearing. November 14, 2017
Trump Campaign meet Russians? #JeffSessions 10/18/17: "I’m not aware of anyone…that did." » #Sessions 11/14/17: "I remember ❲Papadopoulos❳ suggested an ability to negotiate with Russians." Click To Tweet
Context
On November 2, 2017, newly unsealed Mueller Investigation court records revealed that Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos had frequent communications with Russia contacts during the campaign.1New York Times, Nov. 2, 2017
Trump and Sessions Denied Knowing About Russian Contacts. Records Suggest Otherwise.
retrieved 7/11/18 The records also showed that on March 31, 2016, Papadopoulos proposed arranging a meeting between Trump and Putin via his contacts at a Trump campaign foreign policy team meeting that Trump and Sessions attended. J.D. Gordon, a Trump campaign adviser who also attended the meeting, told the New York Times that Papadopoulos “said he had a friend in London, the Russian ambassador, who could help set up a meeting with Putin.” Gordon said Sessions strongly opposed the idea and said no one should talk about it because he thought it was a bad idea that he did not want associated with the campaign.2New York Times, Nov. 2, 2017
Trump and Sessions Denied Knowing About Russian Contacts. Records Suggest Otherwise.
retrieved 7/11/18
Trump posted a picture on the day of the March 31, 2016, Trump campaign foreign policy team meeting showing Sessions, Papadopoulos, and Trump at the meeting:
#MakeAmericaGreatAgain #Trump2016https://t.co/aANxirUJJD pic.twitter.com/VlMynYN3sd
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2016
At a November 3, 2017, House intelligence Committee hearing Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page testified that he told Sessions he was traveling to Moscow during the campaign at a dinner attended by members of the Trump campaign national security team at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington D.C.3CNN, Nov 3, 2017
Exclusive: Carter Page testifies he told Sessions about Russia trip
retrieved 7/11/18 Sessions subsequently testified under oath that he did not remember the exchange.4CNN, Nov 14, 2017
Transcript: Continuing Coverage of House Judiciary Hearing. November 14, 2017
retrieved 7/11/18
On March 18, 2018, Reuters reported that three attendees of the meeting say Sessions expressed no objections to Papadopoulos’ proposal to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin. J.D. Gordon however stands by his statement that Sessions strongly opposed Papadopoulos’ proposal.5Reuters, March 18, 2018
Exclusive: Sources contradict Sessions’ testimony he opposed Russia outreach
retrieved 7/11/18
On August 31, 2018, Papadopoulos’ lawyers submitted a Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on his behalf that states:
George announced at the [March 31, 2016, Trump foreign policy team] meeting that he had connections that could facilitate a foreign policy meeting between Mr. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While some in the room rebuffed George’s offer, Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it.6Politico, Aug. 31, 2018
Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum (pdf)
retrieved 9/7/18
