Democrat Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware suggested Monday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is trying to “shield his testimony from the American people” by offering to testify before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
“He has declined for months to appear in front of the Judiciary Committee, and as of this weekend he’s now seeking to testify in front of Intel,” Coons said in an interview on CNN. “That may well be because he’s trying to have his testimony be shielded from the American people, and I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
“I don’t think that on an issue as important as whether or not the attorney general is acting outside the scope of his recusal, whether he misled our committee, the Judiciary Committee, about a third meeting with the Russian ambassador … that shouldn’t be held in secret,” Coons continued.
Sessions has offered to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee this week in response to former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony. Comey testified before the panel last week in open and closed sessions.
During the closed session, Comey said Sessions might have had a third, unreported meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. The attorney general omitted information about his contact with Kislyak during his time in the Senate when he was in the process of being confirmed.
Sessions was scheduled to appear before the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees, but said in a statement he would be sending a deputy instead.
“In light of reports regarding Mr. Comey’s testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, it is important that I have an opportunity to address these matters in the appropriate forum,” Sessions said in a letter to the Senate subcommittee.
