Finally, a Reason to Agree With Nancy Pelosi
by Noah Karvelis
Nancy Pelosi was right- when it comes to Jeff Sessions and his alleged contacts with Russia, recusal is not enough.
In a confirmation hearing before Congress, Sessions stated that he was “not aware of” and personally “did not have communications with the Russians” during the Trump campaign. This has turned out to be, in fact, a blatant lie. As a recent report from the Washington Post revealed, Sessions met not once, but twice with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The details of the discussions that took place between then-Senator Sessions and Ambassador Kislyak are unknown, but what is apparent is that Sessions lied under oath, violated the sanctity of the highest attorney’s office in the nation, potentially committed perjury, and consequently, must resign.
Lying Under Oath and the “Flynn Standard”
Perhaps the most shocking element of this scandal is the fact that Sessions blatantly and intentionally lied to Congress while under oath. While Sessions’ actions and the current scandal are complex, the fact that Sessions has misled the Senate is enough to demand serious investigation and reconsideration of his fitness for the office of Attorney General. In the minds of many, such as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, this apparent deception of the Senate merits Sessions’ resignation.
The matter becomes even more clear when one considers the precedent set by Michael Flynn’s resignation from the post of National Security Advisor. When it was discovered that Flynn was in contact with Russia during the Trump campaign and had lied about it, he promptly resigned. Now, Sessions has been discovered to have behaved in a similar manner. While Flynn’s case may be somewhat more extreme, the standard for this behavior has already been set and, as Schumer stated, Sessions will be “held to the same standard”. Consequently, Jeff Sessions must resign from the Attorney General’s position immediately. When an Attorney General deceives the nation and the Senate, no matter the reason, he or she has proven themselves unfit for the office.
Professional Misconduct
Prior to Sessions’ appointment as the Attorney General, he was a United States Senator representing his home state of Alabama. As a resident of Alabama, his attorney license is granted under the Alabama bar. Sessions’ blatant deception and fraud are so problematic that they clearly constitute “professional misconduct” as defined by the Alabama State Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct.
While this may seem like a minor detail, the facts are simple and show that. Sessions has acted in a way that brings into question his ability to ethically practice law in Alabama and could merit disbarment. This would deny him the right to practice law at all- let alone his ability to be the nation’s highest-ranking attorney and the enforcer of laws.
What are the Realities of the Trump and Russia Relationship?
This scandal also brings into question the depth of the relationship between Trump and Russia. Throughout the campaign and first month of his presidency, Donald Trump made it clear that he desired a strong, friendly relationship with Russia. Since becoming president, we have also seen many appointees to the Trump cabinet, such as Flynn and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who have apparent ties to Russia and Russian interests. This, along with Russian interference in the election and the Sessions scandal, begs the question of what the relationship between the Trump administration and Russia truly looks like.
Without access to Trump’s tax returns, we may never fully know. However, the evidence is clear that Sessions did communicate with Russian officials during his time as a Trump campaign surrogate.
As Senator Claire McCaskill recently tweeted: “It’s clear Attorney General Sessions misled the Senate — the question is, ‘why’?” It seems clear that Sessions had something to hide from the Senate. If Sessions is, in fact, involved in illegal activity and misconduct on behalf of the Trump administration, it is in his own, as well as the nation’s, best interest for him to step down immediately.
Is Sessions Fit to be the Nation’s Highest Attorney?
As many are aware, Sessions has a litany of issues that should have disqualified him from becoming Attorney General in the first place. Take, for example, the fact that Sessions was denied a position as a federal judge as a result of his apparent racism. Considering this history, alongside the recent Russia scandal, it is hard to imagine that Sessions is in any way fit for the office of Attorney General.
While it is possible that Sessions met with Ambassador Kislyak simply within the context of his being a U.S. Senator, the additional facts make it apparent that Sessions has acted in a way which makes him unfit to hold the office of Attorney General. The nation’s highest-ranking attorney should never be a man who intentionally deceives the United States’ Senate and citizens with a blatant lie. Nor should it be a man who has committed professional misconduct so great that it draws his law license into question. The facts are simple: Sessions deliberately misled the nation about his conduct with Russian leaders. This is no small act and is certainly behavior that proves him to be an unfit Attorney General. The standard for this behavior has already been set by the resignation of Michael Flynn: Sessions must step down as the United States Attorney General immediately.
