Schumer: Sessions must recuse himself from potential DOJ Flynn probe

WASHINGTON- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) doubled down on his request that Attorney General Jeff Sessions must recuse himself from any potential Justice Department probe of former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

“Sessions must follow Department of Justice guidance and recuse himself,” Schumer said at a Wednesday news conference accompanied by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

“Prosecutors should not be reporting to the first senator who endorsed Donald Trump’s campaign, who served on same campaign committee as Michael Flynn, and who nominated Donald Trump at the Republican convention,” Schumer said.

Flynn’s resignation was preceded by an apology to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for misleading them about his phone conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

The Washington Post Monday reported that then-acting-Attorney General Sally Yates three weeks earlier warned the White House about Flynn’s phone call. Yates said that Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail.  Flynn may have given Kislyak the impression that the incoming Trump team might be amenable to lifting economic sanctions.

Then-President Barack Obama in his final weeks in office issued additional sanctions against Moscow after evidence showed that Russian president Vladimir Putin interfered in the U.S. presidential election to undermine the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that would limit the ability of President Trump to remove Russian sanctions.

Flynn’s decision to engage Moscow prior to President Donald Trump assuming office raises questions as to whether the retired lieutenant general violated the Logan Act, a 1799 statue that prohibits unauthorized persons from diplomatically engaging foreign governments.

On Jan. 13, then-Trump transition team spokesperson Sean Spicer told reporters that the late December Flynn-Kislyak phone conversation was merely an informal courtesy call.

Flynn’s spokesperson told The Washington Post on Thursday that the retired lieutenant general does not recall discussing the possibility of lifting sanctions during the call but also said the prospect such conversation had occurred could not be ruled out.

A Russian government spokesperson told CNN on Friday that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss sanctions during the call.

Schumer expressed disgust over recent reports suggesting the Trump campaign had engaged in dialogue with Russian officials.

“The reports of constant contact between the top officials in the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence are chilling,” Schumer said. “I’ve been in Congress for a long time and I have never seen anything like this.”

Schumer said Senate involvement in the Flynn probe would include but not be limited to the Select Committee on Intelligence.

“We will be fact based. We will be measured. We will be thorough,” Schumer said of the probe.

This article was republished with permission from Talk Media News