Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that it would be inappropriate to pursue leads that linked the State Department then headed by Hillary Clinton to giving control of large amounts of U.S. uranium to the Kremlin.
According to Politico, Sessions said on Tuesday that he would not help Trump use the Justice Department to attack political rivals.
“I have not been improperly influenced and would not be improperly influenced” by President Donald Trump, Sessions reportedly said during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee.
“I would say the Department of Justice can never be used to retaliate politically against opponents, and that would be wrong,” Sessions told Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) when asked why no special counsel has been appointed to follow the Clinton/Kremlin leads.
Sessions added that he feels there’s not enough evidence to pursue an investigation into the Clinton State Department.
“‘Looks like’ is not enough basis to appoint a special counsel,” Sessions said.
However, according to financial documents, there does appear to be some evidence that a deal with the Kremlin and not just the Clinton State Department, but the Clinton foundation itself took place.
Recent reports indicated that the FBI had been investigating a Russian-directed bribery scheme to gain a foothold in the American energy industry — and Trump supporters have pointed to donations that one party to the uranium deal made to the Clinton Foundation.
Clinton has dismissed the claims as largely debunked, and her allies say the recent resurrection of the years-old allegations are a sign that inquiries into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia are spooking the White House.
Sessions said previously that he would recuse himself from any investigations pertaining to the 2016 campaign, or the Clinton’s themselves.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member