Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he is removing himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. His announcement came after requests from leading Democrats and some Republicans that he step aside. The requests followed a report from The Washington Post that Sessions met twice with Russia’s ambassador to the United States. He had told a Senate committee that he did not have any contact with Russian officials. Sessions said he did not believe he had misled the committee because he did not represent the Trump campaign at the meetings. But he said he should have mentioned the two meetings with the Russian ambassador. He denied that the two meetings were related to the presidential campaign. Investigations are underway over charges the Russian government “hacked” into Hillary Clinton and Democratic campaign computers and released embarrassing information to help winning candidate, Republican Donald Trump. Sessions, as the federal government’s top law enforcement official, would have overseen the investigation, unless he “recused” himself and turned over the investigation to someone else. Sessions said his Justice Department staff had recommended that he recuse himself. He agreed with that recommendation and said it was the right thing to do because he was part of the Trump campaign. Sessions said Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente will handle all matters related to any investigation into Russian interference with the presidential campaign. On Thursday, Trump said he has "total" confidence in Jeff Sessions. Trump told reporters he “wasn’t aware” Sessions met with the Russian ambassador, but said he believed he had spoken truthfully to the Senate.
Title: US Attorney General Removes Himself from Russian Investigation
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/sessions_recused.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US Attorney General Removes Himself from Russian Investigation' data-article-id='2230'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12813'>Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he is removing himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.</span> <span data-start-time='12813' data-end-time='21854'>His announcement came after requests from leading Democrats and some Republicans that he step aside.</span> <span data-start-time='21854' data-end-time='32938'>The requests followed a report from The Washington Post that Sessions met twice with Russia’s ambassador to the United States.</span> <span data-start-time='32938' data-end-time='40083'>He had told a Senate committee that he did not have any contact with Russian officials.</span> <span data-start-time='40083' data-end-time='50167'>Sessions said he did not believe he had misled the committee because he did not represent the Trump campaign at the meetings.</span> <span data-start-time='50167' data-end-time='56521'>But he said he should have mentioned the two meetings with the Russian ambassador.</span> <span data-start-time='56521' data-end-time='62438'>He denied that the two meetings were related to the presidential campaign.</span> <span data-start-time='62438' data-end-time='79833'>Investigations are underway over charges the Russian government “hacked” into Hillary Clinton and Democratic campaign computers and released embarrassing information to help winning candidate, Republican Donald Trump.</span> <span data-start-time='79833' data-end-time='95167'>Sessions, as the federal government’s top law enforcement official, would have overseen the investigation, unless he “recused” himself and turned over the investigation to someone else.</span> <span data-start-time='95167' data-end-time='102354'>Sessions said his Justice Department staff had recommended that he recuse himself.</span> <span data-start-time='102354' data-end-time='111521'>He agreed with that recommendation and said it was the right thing to do because he was part of the Trump campaign.</span> <span data-start-time='111521' data-end-time='124396'>Sessions said Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente will handle all matters related to any investigation into Russian interference with the presidential campaign.</span> <span data-start-time='124396' data-end-time='130854'>On Thursday, Trump said he has "total" confidence in Jeff Sessions.</span> <span data-start-time='130854' data-end-time='142125'>Trump told reporters he “wasn’t aware” Sessions met with the Russian ambassador, but said he believed he had spoken truthfully to the Senate.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/sessions_recused.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=8197 data-hint-location='124396' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/trump_said_he_has__blank__in_sessions.m4a'>Trump said he has <span class='blank'>confidence</span> in Sessions.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='confidence'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/awareness.m4a'><span>awareness</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/knowledge.m4a'><span>knowledge</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/confidence.m4a'><span>confidence</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/truth.m4a'><span>truth</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=8198 data-hint-location='62438' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/what_does_hack_mean.m4a'>What does hack mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='gain unauthorized access to data'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/meet_with_ambassadors.m4a'><span>meet with ambassadors</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/gain_unauthorized_access_to_data.m4a'><span>gain unauthorized access to data</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/step_aside_.m4a'><span>step aside </span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/influence_an_election.m4a'><span>influence an election</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=8199 data-hint-location='21854' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/how_many_times_did_sessions_meet_the_ambassador.m4a'>How many times did Sessions meet the Ambassador?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='twice'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/it_is_not_known.m4a'><span>it is not known</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/they_did_not_meet.m4a'><span>they did not meet</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/twice.m4a'><span>twice</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1712/once.m4a'><span>once</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button 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