>>> IT HAS BEEN ROUGH GOING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS
IN THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE SINCE THE CONFIRMATION HEARING IN JANUARY GIVING AN
ANSWER TO SENATOR AL FRANKNESS ABOUT HIS CONTACTS WITH RUSSIANS
IN AN ANSWER THAT SENATOR FRANKEN LATER JUDGED TO BE
PERJURY. >> WAS JEFF SESSIONS RESPONSE TO
YOU PERJURY? >> IT IS HARD FOR ME TO DRAW ANY
OTHER CONCLUSION GIVEN THE LETTER THAT HE WROTE.
>> THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S DEFENSE AGAINST THE PERJURY
ALLEGATION HAS REQUIRED HIM TO REVISE HIS ANSWERS SEVERAL
TIMES. HERE'S HOW SENATOR FRANKEN
SUMMARIZED THOED THOSE REVISIONY WITH JEFF SESSIONS ONCE AGAIN IN
THE WITNESS CHAIR. >> FIRST IT WAS I DID NOT HAVE
COMMUNICATIONS WITH RUSSIANS. WHICH WAS NOT TRUE.
THEN IT WAS, I NEVER MET WITH ANY RUSSIANS TO DISCUSS ANY
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE.
NOW, IT'S I DID NOT DISCUSS INTERFERENCE IN THE CAMPAIGN.
WHICH FURTHER NARROWS YOUR INITIAL BLANKET DENIAL ABOUT
MEETING WITH THE RUSSIANS. SINCE YOU HAVE QUALIFIED YOUR
DENIAL TO SAY THAT HE DID NOT, QUOTE, DISCUSS ISSUES OF THE
CAMPAIGN WITH RUSSIANS, WHAT IN YOUR VIEW CONSTITUTES ISSUES OF
THE CAMPAIGN? >> WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THIS
WITHOUT HESITATION. THAT I CONDUCTED NO IMPROPER
DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIANS AT ANY TIME REGARDING A CAMPAIGN OR ANY
OTHER ITEM FACING THIS COUNTRY. >> JOINING US NOW, SENATOR AL
FRANKEN FROM MINNESOTA. MEMBER OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE. SENATOR, I DIDN'T HEAR AN ANSWER
TO THAT QUESTION YOU ASKED. I DIDN'T HEAR JEFF SESSIONS
ANSWER WHAT CONSTITUTES A DISCUSSION OF A CAMPAIGN
MATTERS. >> NO.
I DON'T THINK HE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH WHEN I QUESTIONED HIM IN
HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING IN JANUARY.
I DON'T THINK HE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, THIS IS
NOT PERSONAL. THIS IS ABOUT THE NUMBER ONE LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN OUR COUNTRY AND WHETHER HE
INTERFERED WITH -- IN ANY WAY TO RUSSIA INTERFERING IN OUR
ELECTION. ACTUALLY, HE DID CONTRADICT
HIMSELF EARLIER WHEN HE -- PAT LEAHY ASKED HIM IF HE HAD TALKED
WITH KISLYAK OF ANY OF TRUMP'S POLICIES AND HE SAID, I COULD
HAVE, YEAH, MAYBE I DID. AND, OF COURSE, POLICIES,
FOREIGN POLICY IN A CAMPAIGN, THOSE ARE POSITIONS IN A
CAMPAIGN. THAT'S PART OF A CAMPAIGN.
AND HE KIND OF SAID, YEAH, I COULD HAVE, AND SENATOR LEAHY
USED ACTUALLY THE POLICIES IN THE CAMPAIGN.
>> AND YOU'VE BEEN NOW PURSUING A MOVING TARGET IT SEEMS WITH
ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR MONTHS OVER THE SUBSTANCE OF THESE
CONVERSATIONS AND NOW IT SEEMS TO BE AS YOU SAID TODAY THE BAR
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN LOWERED TO COLLUSION.
JUST SIMPLY THE DENIAL THAT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF
COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIANS TO INTERFERE IN THE ELECTION.
>> YEAH. AS I SAID, IT CHANGED.
THE GOAL POSTS CHANGE ON THIS AND NOW IT'S I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT
INTERFERING WITH THE ELECTION. HE ALSO ODDLY TODAY SAID THAT HE
DIDN'T THINK THAT ANY SURROGATES FOR THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAD
TALKED WITH RUSSIANS. AND SO, I ASKED HIM, DO YOU
THINK GENERAL FLYNN WAS A SURROGATE?
DO YOU THINK PAUL MANAFORT WAS A SURROGATE?
DO YOU THINK JARED KUSHNER WAS A SURROGATE?
DO YOU THINK DONALD TRUMP JR. WAS A SURROGATE?
SO WHAT HE WAS SAYING TODAY, JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
>> THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER POINT THAT SENATOR LEAHY BROUGHT UP
ABOUT THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR'S INVESTIGATION, ASKING IF HE'S
BEEN INTERVIEWED BY THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR.
LET'S LISTEN TO THAT EXCHANGE. >> HAVE YOU BEEN INTERVIEWED BY
THEM? >> NO.
>> YOU HAVEN'T BEEN INTERVIEWED BY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IN ANY
WAY, SHAPE OR MANNER? >> THE ANSWER'S NO.
>> AND, SENATOR, WE KNOW THAT JEFF SESSIONS WAS INVOLVED IN
THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO FIRE JAMES COMEY.
WE ALSO HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT'S PART OF THE SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR'S INVESTIGATION SO IT WOULD SEEM --
>> SURE. >> -- THE DAY WILL COME AT SOME
POINT THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR WILL WANT TO TALK TO THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL. >> YEAH.
AND THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR WILL MAYBE ASK HIM ABOUT SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS THE WAY HE ANSWERED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS TODAY AND
DURING HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING. >> THE -- WHAT ABOUT THE
PROPOSITION THAT JEFF SESSIONS KEEPS CHANGING, ADJUSTING HIS
TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF HIS OLD COMMITTEE?
USED TO BE CHAIRMAN OF THAT COMMITTEE AND WHEN YOU SAY IT'S
NOT PERSONAL I KNOW YOU SERVED WITH JEFF SESSIONS ON THAT
COMMITTEE AND HAD THE KIND OF CLOSE CONTACT THAT YOU DO WITH
YOUR COLLEAGUES ON A COMMITTEE LIKE THAT.
AND ACTUALLY A GREAT DEAL OF FRIENDLINESS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT
NOT SEE OUT THERE DURING THE HEARINGS.
HOW IS THIS PLAYING WITH THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE AND
INCLUDING TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN JUDGE WIT THE REPUBLICANS?
>> I DON'T KNOW. I THINK THERE'S SOME DENIAL
IN -- ON THAT SIDE OF THE AISLE. I THINK TO US IT'S PRETTY --
WE'RE VERY, VERY SKEPTICAL. I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT THE
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, HE IS THE ONE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF ALL OF THIS AND I HOPE THAT MAYBE THIS TESTIMONY
TODAY WAS USEFUL TO HIM AND -- BUT WE HAVE A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
WHO WILL BE TAKING CARE OF THIS. YOU KNOW, IT IS -- IT IS
DISTURBING THAT THE -- YOU KNOW, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE IS HAVING SUCH DIFFICULTY ANSWERING QUESTIONS
AND KEEPS CHANGING THE GOAL POSTS.
>> SENATOR, I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO AN UNRELATED MATTER
INVOLVING THE PRESIDENT TODAY. I KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE THAT YOU
HAVE CARED ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME, INCLUDING BEFORE YOUR TIME
IN THE SENATE. YOU VISITED TROOPS IN IRAQ LONG
BEFORE YOU WERE A CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, AND WE HAVE
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THIS NOW CONTROVERSIAL PHONE CALL TO A
FAMILY AND THIS IS THE FAMILY OF ARMY SERGEANT LA DAVID JOHNSON.
AND HIS MOTHER, HIS GUARDIAN, WHEN HE WAS A CHILD, HAS NOW
SAID THIS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT TRUMP DID DISRESPECT
MY SON AND MY DAUGHTER AND ALSO
ME AND MY HUSBAND. THAT'S HER INTERPRETATION OF THE
PRESIDENT'S CONDOLENCE PHONE CALL TO THE WIDOW OF SERGEANT
JOHNSON. WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT CONVERSATION.
THESE ARE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.
I HAVE MADE THEM WHEN MINNESOTA SOLDIERS OR MARINES HAVE DIED IN
AFGHANISTAN OR IN IRAQ. AND THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO
MAKE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SAID THERE
BUT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD LEAVE THIS ALONE.
AND MY GOODNESS, HE SHOULD -- HE ATTACKED GOLD STAR FAMILY DURING
THE CAMPAIGN. I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST
UNFORTUNATE TO SAY THE LEAST. AND I THINK HERE HE SHOULD TRY
TO LEAVE THIS ONE ALONE. >> SENATOR AL FRANKE