Trump calls for probe into Schumer over old Putin photo

Read the full report from The New York Times here.

Sergey Kislyak has been Moscow’s man in Washington since 2008. Leaks from the FBI to major media outlets late past year seemed created to shoot down the idea that there was a significant investigation into a Trump-Russia connection under way.

September 2016: Sessions had a private meeting in his office with Kislyak. That was at the height of what USA intelligence officials say was a Russian hacking campaign to influence the November election in the Republican candidate’s favour.

During the course of the last several weeks, I have met with the relevant senior career Department officials to discuss whether I should recuse myself from any matters arising from the campaigns for President of the United States. Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Sessions’ answer was not misleading because he believed he was being asked about communications between Russian Federation and the Trump campaign, not about those he had as a senator.

The White House denies any improper behaviour during the election campaign, and Russian Federation has consistently rejected allegations of interference.

The pattern of meetings between figures in the Trump administration and Russian officials just as the Federal Bureau of Investigation was preparing to announce its findings that the Kremlin was behind attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election has raised questions.

The former speaker of the house responded to the charge minutes later via Twitter, saying her meeting with Kislyak was open to the press and that her interview was not under oath, unlike Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions. That requires not only a recusal by Mr. Sessions (much as Loretta Lynch recused herself from the Hillary Clinton email inquiry) but the appointment of a special prosecutor to ensure that investigation is independent and nonpartisan. Some said he should have revealed the conversations with Kislyak when asked if he had any communications with Russian Federation during the campaign.

A CNN article from Thursday added fuel to the scandal, claiming that “current and former USA intelligence officials have described Kislyak as a top spy and recruiter of spies”.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said it was normal for Russian diplomats to meet with US lawmakers.

It is not improper for elected officials to meet with foreign diplomats.

“He was deputy minister of foreign affairs in Russia, who has communicated with American colleagues for decades in different fields, and CNN accused him of being a Russian spy. of recruiting?”

“Sessions recused himself. But his subordinates can not conduct the investigation of their boss”, legal ethics specialist and New York University law professor Stephen Gillers told Politico’s Josh Gerstein. “Our job is to understand”.

He described the reaction to the news of Mr Sessions’ meetings as “an emotional atmosphere leading to resistance to the idea of any US-Russia dialogue”.

He said that he did not “recall” having met Kislyak at any other time, but that it was “possible”. No call or meeting w/Russian ambassador. “That really doesn’t really have anything to do with him personally”.

That may not matter, though.

Kislyak has also met with top Democrats like Sen.