US Attorney General Sessions Offered Resignation in May, Trump Declined

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered his resignation to US President Donald Trump just before the first foreign trip of Trump's and came in response to the president’s negative reaction to the fact that Sessions decided to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian interference, according to local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — US Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered his resignation to US President Donald Trump in May over to the investigation of Russia’s alleged meddling in the US elections, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to the Politico media outlet, citing sources close to the attorney general, Sessions’ offer came just before the first foreign trip of Trump's and came in response to the president’s negative reaction to the fact that Sessions decided to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian interference.

Both the White House and the Justice Department declined to comment on the issue.

Trump has often expressed anger over the decision of Sessions to step back from the investigation, as this led to former FBI Director Robert Mueller taking over its proceedings, as well as giving the case increased publicity, according to the publication.

In May, the Justice Department appointed Muller as special prosecutor for the alleged Russian interference in the US election, a decision which Trump called "the single greatest witch hunt in history."

Russia has repeatedly denied US claims that it meddled in the vote, calling such allegations absurd. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Moscow did not have official contacts with Trump's team during the presidential campaign.