Sessions to submit written answers to questions about Russia contacts

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions will reply to any questions Senate Democrats have about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador in writing, the Justice Department said Friday.

Nine Democratic senators sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to order Sessions to go before the panel in a public hearing to explain why he did not disclose his communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to Reuters.

Grassley declined the request for a public hearing.

Sessions will submit written answers to the Democratic lawmakers on Monday, Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said.

The letter came a day after Sessions recused himself from an investigation into Russia’s alleged influence in the presidential election. Sessions said Thursday he met Kislyak in his office two months before the election as well as at an event at the Republican National Convention.

Sessions insisted he did nothing wrong by failing to tell lawmakers about his meeting with Kislyak during his confirmation hearing to become the nation’s top justice official.

The former senator from Alabama received tons of blowback after his press conference, including calls from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The California Democrat said Sessions had “lied” to Congress and committed perjury.

President Trump backed Sessions and accused Democrats of playing politics.

Click for more from Reuters.