Commentary: Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to step down after new revelations that he misled Congress about his contacts with the Russian government during the 2016 campaign. Udall issued the following statement:
“Americans must have confidence that our nation’s top law enforcement official is a fair-minded, independent, and honest steward of the law. Attorney General Sessions’ statements to Congress, under oath, were at best misleading, and that is concerning in and of itself. In the context of the Trump administration's lack of full disclosure about its connections to Russia, Attorney General Sessions has raised so many doubts about his integrity and his ability to lead the Department of Justice that I believe the nation would be better off if he resigned.
"The questions about the Trump Organization, the Trump campaign and the Trump administration's involvement with Russia are growing more and more pressing and complex. If President Trump and his team truly have nothing nefarious to hide, why aren't they forthcoming about the president's tax returns and his team's meetings and conversations with Russian officials — and why won't they agree to a full investigation? After these latest revelations about Attorney General Sessions' contacts with Russian Ambassador Kislyak, it is more evident than ever that we must appoint a special counsel to conduct a complete and independent investigation of the Trump administration’s ties to the Russian government and a bipartisan commission to examine Russia's involvement in the presidential election.”