Sessions Faces Potential Perjury Charges Following papadopoulos Plea
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions may face legal scrutiny, perhaps including a perjury investigation, in light of revelations stemming from the guilty plea of former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos. A Justice Department affidavit suggests Sessions was present during a March 2016 meeting where Papadopoulos reportedly proposed arranging a meeting between then-candidate Donald Trump and Russian President vladimir Putin. This directly contradicts sessions’ sworn testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee in June 2017.
The unfolding situation raises serious questions about the accuracy of Sessions’ statements regarding contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign. While both Sessions and President trump have consistently denied any collusion with the Russian goverment,Sessions specifically affirmed under oath that he had “never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States,” and that he had “no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign.” The affidavit’s claim that Sessions was in the room when Papadopoulos made his proposal to explore a Trump-Putin meeting could expose him to charges of perjury or making false statements.
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in October 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with individuals linked to the Russian government. He admitted to attempting to broker a meeting between Trump and Putin, and to receiving offers of political assistance from Russian-linked individuals. Sessions served as a key advisor to Trump during the campaign and led the foreign policy team to which Papadopoulos belonged.
During his June 13, 2017, testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions maintained he had no knowledge of any campaign-related communications with Russian officials. The Justice Department has not yet commented on the potential implications of the affidavit for Sessions’ previous statements. The possibility of a perjury investigation adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential obstruction of justice.
