The news conference began shortly after 4 p.m. EST, as a growing number of lawmakers have publicly called for Sessions to resign, or recuse himself from investigating Russia's involvement in the presidential election, over conversations that he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during his time in the Senate Armed Services Committee.
At the start of the news conference, Sessions asserted that he never had meetings with Russian operatives, or Russian intermediaries, on behalf of the Trump campaign, and that he answered the question as it was asked of him at his confirmation hearing.
There has been no evidence released that there was discussions relating to the Trump campaign.
Sessions did announce, however, that he has examined ethics rules and will be recusing himself from any investigation now or in the future that involves the Trump campaign.
"During the course of the last several weeks, I have met with the relevant senior career department officials to discuss whether I should recuse myself from any matters arising from the campaigns for President of the United States," Sessions said in a statement, released during the news conference. "Having concluded those meetings today, I have decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns."
Sessions added that his recusal should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation.
— Maine First Media (@MaineFirstMedia) March 2, 2017
During Sessions’ January 10 confirmation hearing, he was asked if he had contact with Russians during his time on the Trump campaign, and he asserted that he did not. He was not asked about his time as an Alabama senator.
“There was absolutely nothing misleading about his answer,” Sessions spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement on Wednesday evening when the accusations came to light. “Last year, the senator had over 25 conversations with foreign ambassadors as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, including the British, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Indian, Chinese, Canadian, Australian, German and Russian ambassadors. He was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign — not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee.”
The first conversation took place amidst a group of ambassadors who had approached Sessions at a Heritage Foundation event during the Republican National Convention in July 2016, and again in an office meeting on September 8 of that same year. Sessions was not working for the campaign during those times.
