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Report: Sessions Key Witness In Robert Mueller Obstruction Probe | The Last Word | MSNBC

"Part 211, some of..." I hope the next one is on the way. Missing them.

MSNBC
Published on May 29, 2018

The New York Times reports that Trump berated Jeff Sessions and tried to get him to reverse Sessions' recusal on the Russia probe. Mueller is now investigating the incident.
And Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani says they are preparing for the possibility of impeachment. Lawrence discusses with John Heilemann, Harry Litman, and Jason Johnson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb2R324SbUk

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Trump Asked Sessions to Retain Control of Russia Inquiry After His Recusal


Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in March 2017 that he was recusing himself from oversight of the Russia investigation and any
other campaign-related matters.CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times

By Michael S. Schmidt and Julie Hirschfeld Davis

May 29, 2018

WASHINGTON — By the time Attorney General Jeff Sessions arrived at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for dinner one Saturday evening in March 2017, he had been receiving the presidential silent treatment for two days. Mr. Sessions had flown to Florida because Mr. Trump was refusing to take his calls about a pressing decision on his travel ban.

When they met, Mr. Trump was ready to talk — but not about the travel ban. His grievance was with Mr. Sessions: The president objected to his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Mr. Trump, who had told aides that he needed a loyalist overseeing the inquiry, berated Mr. Sessions and told him he should reverse his decision, an unusual and potentially inappropriate request.

Mr. Sessions refused.

The confrontation, which has not been previously reported, is being investigated by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, as are the president’s public and private attacks on Mr. Sessions and efforts to get him to resign. Mr. Trump dwelled on the recusal for months, according to confidants and current and former administration officials who described his behavior toward the attorney general.

The special counsel’s interest demonstrates Mr. Sessions’s overlooked role as a key witness in the investigation into whether Mr. Trump tried to obstruct the inquiry itself. It also suggests that the obstruction investigation is broader than it is widely understood to be — encompassing not only the president’s interactions with and firing of the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, but also his relationship with Mr. Sessions.

[...]

Mr. Giuliani said that he had not discussed Mr. Sessions’s recusal with Mr. Trump but that a request that Mr. Sessions reassert control over the Russia investigation would be within the bounds of the president’s authority.

“‘Unrecuse’ doesn’t say, ‘Bury the investigation.’ It says on the face of it: Take responsibility for it and handle it correctly,” Mr. Giuliani said on Tuesday evening.

[...]

Mr. Trump immediately recognized the potential effect of a recusal. He had his White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, lobby Mr. Sessions to retain oversight of the inquiry.

To Justice Department officials close to Mr. Sessions, the request by the president made through Mr. McGahn was inappropriate, particularly because it was clear to them that Mr. Sessions had to step aside. After Mr. Sessions told Mr. McGahn that he would follow the Justice Department lawyers’ advice to recuse himself from all matters related to the election, Mr. McGahn backed down. Mr. Sessions recused himself on March 2.

With links - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/us/politics/trump-sessions-obstruction.html