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U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today clashed with Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a congressional hearing, both men growing agitated as Wyden demanded answers on the firing of the former FBI director investigating the Trump campaign's ties to Moscow.
To start, Wyden accused Sessions of impeding the Senate investigation into Russian interference with U.S. elections, by refusing to answer any questions about his conversations with President Donald Trump.
"I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling," Wyden began. "Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged and off-limits."
In his subsequent questioning, Wyden focused on the details of Sessions' recusal from the Russia investigation, and whether being involved in the firing of former FBI director James Comey violated that recusal. Wyden's interrogation, which elicited some of the most heated responses all day from Sessions, has drawn the attention of dozens of national news outlets.
After his opening remarks, Wyden proceeded to press Sessions about the testimony of former FBI director James Comey, who Wyden coaxed last week into hinting he knew more about Sessions' communications with Russian officials than he could discuss in an open hearing.
Sessions then testified, in his signature slow drawl, that any information he received on Russia "was mostly already in the media."
That answer didn't satisfy Wyden.
"General Sessions, respectfully, you're not answering the question," Wyden said.
"Well, what is the question?" Session responded in frustration.
When asked again what were the details of Sessions' recusal that Comey regarded as classified, Sessions got defensive.
"Why don't you tell me?" he asked. "There are none, Senator Wyden. There are none. I can tell you that for absolute certainty. This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it."
Wyden then brought up the fact that Trump, in an interview with NBC News' Lester Holt, claimed Comey's firing was based on the way he was handling the Russia investigation. Wyden wanted to know why Sessions would condone firing the person spearheading inquiries into Russian meddling in US elections, after Sessions had recused himself from such investigations. Sessions and Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General, both wrote letters in support of Comey's firing.
Sessions claimed that his letter didn't violate his recusal because he'd considered Comey to be doing an unsatisfactory job for some time.
Wyden didn't buy it.
"That answer, in my view, doesn't pass the smell test," Wyden said. "The day before you wrote your letter he [the President] tweeted that the collusion story was a total hoax, and asked 'when will this taxpayer funded charade end?' I don't think your answer passes the smell test."