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Patch: Sessions Should Resign, Local Members Of Congress Say

March 2, 2017
In the News

The following article was published on March 2, 2017. A link to the article can be found here.

By Jonah Meadows

President Donald Trump backed Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a Facebook post Thursday night, blaming the controversy on Democrats who, he wrote, "have lost their grip on reality."

"It is a total witch hunt!" wrote the president.

Sessions held a press conference Thursday afternoon and recused himself from the Department of Justice probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He described his testimony as "honest and correct as I understood it at the time."

NORTHBROOK, IL — Both members of congress for Chicago's North Shore reacted swiftly Thursday to reports that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had contact with the Russian ambassador during the presidential campaign, despite testifying to the contrary during his confirmation hearings in the Senate.

Several other local Democrats also called on Sessions to resign if the allegations are true.

Rep. Brad Schneider, of the 10th District, released the following statement:

"From the start, Attorney General Sessions should have recused himself from any investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he refused. New revelations that Sessions misled the Senate under oath about two meetings with the Russian Ambassador during the campaign erase what little credibility remained. These allegations, if accurate, are disqualifying, and should compel Attorney General Sessions to resign his position.

"The American people deserve to know the facts, and these developments only underscore the need for an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate Russian interference in our election."
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, of the Ninth District, went further in her statement, accusing Sessions of lying:


"Jeff Sessions must resign immediately. While under oath during his Senate confirmation hearing, he lied about his meetings with Russian officials. This isn't about politics, it's about national security. Sessions violated the law by denying his contacts with a foreign government that according to our intelligence agencies was actively working to subvert our elections. The U.S. Attorney General serves as the top law enforcement official – by his actions, Sessions has violated the confidence of the American public and shown that he is unfit for the job.

"I reiterate my demand for an independent and bipartisan investigation on the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia to be launched as soon as possible."
Another north suburban Democrat, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, of the 8th District, did not explicitly call for Sessions to resign:

"Attorney General Sessions met repeatedly with an agent of the Kremlin and made false statement to his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee by denying that any such meetings had occurred. The Attorney General must recuse himself from this investigation and testify under oath as to the extent of his contacts with Russian agents.
...
"We do not know how far or high this web of intrigue goes, what secrets were revealed, or what new risks they have wrought for our nation, but we must have answers.

"In the face of these threats to our national security and the health of our democracy, we must have an immediate, full and thorough investigation into the ties between the Russian government and the Trump administration. I have called for an investigation by the House Oversight Committee, I have cosponsored legislation to form a bipartisan commission to investigate this issue, and I would welcome the appointment of an independent special prosecutor."
And Rep. Mike Quigley, representing much of Chicago's North Side, also called for Sessions to resign:

"It is both unconscionable and unacceptable that Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath about his communications with the Russian Ambassador. It is clear that he must now recuse himself from participation in any Department of Justice investigation of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Additionally, Jeff Sessions should resign his post as Attorney General.

His role as our nation's top law enforcement official has been compromised and any continued involvement in the Russian investigation would only undermine the broad, fair, and thorough investigation we need to protect our democratic institutions and the rule of law.

Unfortunately, reports of Session's secret talks just add to the growing list of Trump campaign staff and Administration officials who held private conversations with members of the Russian government. This trend should concern all Americans, while strengthening the already solid, indisputable case for an independent, bipartisan investigation into the Trump Administration's Russian ties.


Sen. Tammy Duckworth has been an outspoken critic of many of Trump's Cabinet nominees, such as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and Illinois' junior senator joined the chorus Thursday calling for Session's resignation if he doesn't recuse himself from a federal investigation into any connections between the administration and Russia:

"After just 24 days on the job, the President's National Security Advisor was forced to resign over his reported collusion with the Russian government. Now, a mere 42 days into the Trump Presidency, his Attorney General faces serious questions about whether he misled or even lied to Congress when asked about his own connections with Russia.


"With each passing day the need for a public, transparent, impartial and independent investigation into this Administration's ties with foreign adversaries, as well as into who knew what and when they knew it, only grows. Our national security and the integrity of our democracy could very well depend on it.


"Today's reports also crystallize that Attorney General Sessions cannot impartially investigate this Administration's ties with Russia; he must recuse himself immediately to ensure a fair investigation. If he refuses to do so or if we learn he lied under oath, the American people deserve nothing less than his resignation."