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US State Department Sued by Watchdog Group for Records About Kislyak, RNC

© AP Photo / Luis M. AlvarezThe State Department in Washington
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the US State Department is seeking information about the Obama administration's "facilitation" of Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak's attendance at the 2016 Republican National Convention, the conservative Judicial Watch advocacy group said in a press release on Tuesday.

"Judicial Watch announced it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the US Department of State seeking all records regarding the Obama State Department facilitation of Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s attendance at the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC)," the release said.

The lawsuit seeks records about Kislyak's attendance at the 2016 convention, including communication between the State Department and Russian Embassy about the arrangements and records from the Diplomatic Security Service.

Judicial Watch said the State Department both funded and arranged for foreign ambassadors to attend the RNC.

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The release claimed Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, leading to the appointment of a Special Counsel, because of a conversation he had with Kislyak at the RNC and another event co-hosted by the State Department.

In June, the US Justice Department said in a press release that Sessions participated in the Trump campaign, and "for that reason, and that reason alone, the Attorney General made the decision on March 2, 2017 to recuse himself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States."

Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch, said in the release that the goal of the lawsuit is to help the watchdog group figure out the Obama administration's role in getting the Russian Ambassador to the Republican convention.

Judicial Watch has been accused on several occasions of not being a government watchdog but, rather, a pro-Trump and pro-conservative advocacy group. The founder of Judicial Watch, Larry Klayman, for years pushed the conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was a Muslim communist born in Africa and not a US citizen. Klayman was also involved in lawsuits against the Clintons dating back to when Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas — more than three decades ago.

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