Attorney General Jeff Sessions declined to say if he has recused himself from the investigation into President Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
“I should not answer that question; it would be inappropriate for me to do so,” Sessions told Sen. Patrick Leahy, I-Vt., during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday.
Sessions said it is a Justice Department policy to not discuss details either way of an ongoing case.
“It is the policy of the department, if you get into discussing the details of those matters, you can reveal the scope or breadth or nature of a matter that would be inappropriate,” Sessions said, noting that all recusals are internally binding.
Sessions has recused himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller.
Cohen’s office, home, and hotel room were raided by the FBI earlier this month after obtaining a warrant based on a referral from Mueller’s team. The Justice Department has confirmed that Cohen is under federal criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Sessions affirmed to Leahy that he remains recused from the Russia investigation.
Bloomberg News reported Sessions has not recused himself from the Cohen probe.
In March 2017, Sessions said he had decided to “recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States.”
Sessions told Leahy he has not met with the top ethics person in the Justice Department about the Cohen case, but said: “I can assure you I have not violated my recusal.”
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., later asked if Sessions would recuse himself if need be.
“If you discover any connection between this investigation into Mr. Cohen and the ongoing investigation into allegations of Russian interference or anything related to the 2016 election, would you recuse yourself?” Coons asked.
“Yes,” the attorney general replied.
“Have you discussed that investigation into Mr. Cohen with anyone outside of DOJ including the president?” Coons asked.
“I don’t think in any significant — Well I’ll just say this: The communications I might have with anyone in the White House, I believe, are the kind of communication that should not be revealed. I believe I have the right and responsibility to maintain confidence in those, so I’m just not able to go down that road,” Sessions said.
