{"id":59130,"date":"2018-02-19T04:34:02","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T04:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=59130"},"modified":"2018-02-19T04:34:02","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T04:34:02","slug":"sessions-says-hes-aggressively-going-after-leakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/sessions-says-hes-aggressively-going-after-leakers.html","title":{"rendered":"Sessions says he’s ‘aggressively’ going after leakers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sessions says he\u2019s \u2018aggressively\u2019 going after leakers<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he doesn\u2019t regret recusing himself from the Russia investigation and has since championed one of President Trump\u2019s pet projects: identifying leakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Trump announced last year that the \u201creal story\u201d is not Russia but \u201cillegal leaks,\u201d Sessions has launched 27 investigations \u2014 up from three prior to him taking office, the attorney general told Fox News\u2019 \u201cSunday Morning Futures.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going after this aggressively,\u201d said Sessions, who has managed to hold onto his job despite Trump\u2019s disgust with his Russia recusal that made way for special counsel Robert Mueller. \u201cI am directing it personally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When disgraced former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was fired after lying about his contact with Russians, Trump and his allies in Congress called for action on the \u201creal\u201d crime \u2013 the leaks to the press that exposed Flynn\u2019s conversations with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flynn pleaded guilty Dec. 1 in the Russia probe for lying to the FBI and is cooperating in Mueller\u2019s investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe big felony in all of this that nobody talks about from the very beginning was the leak of highly classified information when they leaked the phone call of the Russian ambassador talking to Gen. Mike Flynn right before the inauguration,\u201d Sessions said, explaining his ongoing leak investigation. \u201cThat was a felony, nothing\u2019s ever been done about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Mueller\u2019s Russia investigation has encircled the White House, Trump and the GOP-led House Intelligence Committee declassified a controversial memo that aimed to cast doubt on the FBI launch of the probe.<\/span><\/p>\n

The memo alleges the FBI relied on an anti-Trump dossier paid for by Democrats to obtain federal court surveillance of former Trump campaign associate, Carter Page.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sessions said the Page warrant request \u201cwill be investigated and looked at.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He declined to offer more details about his ongoing probes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite all the grief he\u2019s gotten for his March recusal, Sessions stood firm on his decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe I did the right thing, the only thing I could do,\u201d Sessions said. \u201cI participated in this [Trump ] campaign and as such under explicit regulations of the Department of Justice; no one can participate in the investigation of a campaign in which they were an active participant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He added: \u201cYou can\u2019t ask other members of the department to follow the law and follow the rules if the attorney general themselves refuses to do so.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sessions\u2019 recusal put Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in charge of the FBI investigation in Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rosenstein, a Trump appointee, appointed the special counsel in May under pressure to ensure independence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mueller, a Republican and former FBI director, was widely praised at the time by GOP lawmakers as being a fair and honest choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/nypost.com\/2018\/02\/18\/sessions-says-hes-aggressively-going-after-leakers\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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