Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he will not recuse himself from the investigation into President Trump's longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen, a decision that stands in stark contrast to Sessions' decision to remove himself from the Russia investigation.
Sessions, who was a top adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign, announced in March 2017 that he had decided he should steer clear of “any matters arising from the campaigns” for president. Trump has called Sessions weak for doing so and said he never would have named him as attorney general had he known the recusal would follow.
By staying involved in the Cohen probe, Sessions is entitled to briefings on the status of the investigation, which is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York. That could put Sessions in the position of being asked by Trump, who strongly condemned the FBI’s raid on his longtime lawyer, to divulge information about the Cohen investigation.
Sessions could also weigh in on specific decisions by prosecutors, including whether to pursue subpoenas and indictments.
The attorney general is expected to be asked about his role in the Cohen investigation when he testifies before congressional panels on Wednesday and Thursday, as Democrats argue he should recuse himself and Republicans contend he shouldn’t.
Full story: Sessions Declines to Recuse Himself From Probe Into Trump Lawyer (Bloomberg Politics)