Full Testimony Transcript of Attorney General Jeff Sessions - June 13, 2017

Transcript of Testimony of AG Jeff
Sessions
Date: June 13, 2017
Case: Testimony of AG Jeff Sessions
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7 Senate Intelligence Committee
8 Russia and 2016 Election Investigations
9 Testimony of Attorney General Jeff Sessions
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20 Job No.: 148413
21 Pages: 1 - 141
22 Transcribed by: Debra McCostlin
Transcript of Testimony of AG Jeff Sessions
Conducted on June 13, 2017 2
1 CHAIRMAN BURR: I'd like to call the hearing

2 to order, please.
3 Attorney General Sessions, I appreciate your
4 willingness to appear before the Committee today. I
5 thank you for your years of dedicated service as a
6 member of this body and your recent leadership at the
7 Department of Justice.
8 As I mentioned when Director Comey appeared
9 before us last week, this Committee's role is to be the
10 eyes and ears for the other 85 members of the United
11 States Senate and for the American people, ensuring
12 that the Intelligence Community is operating lawfully
13 and has the necessary tools to keep America safe.
14 The community is a large and diverse place.
15 We recognize the gravity of our investigation into
16 Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, but I
17 remind our constituents that while we investigate
18 Russia, we are scrutinizing CIA's budget -- while we're
19 investigating Russia, we are still scrutinizing CIA's
20 budget, NSA's 702 program, our nation's satellite
21 program and the entire ISE effort to recruit and retain
22 the best talent we can find in the world.
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1 More often than not, the Committee conducts

2 its work behind closed doors, a necessary step to
3 ensure that our most sensitive sources and methods are
4 protected. The sanctity of these sources and methods
5 are at the heart of the Intelligence Community's
6 ability to keep us safe and to keep our allies safe
7 from those who seek to harm us.
8 I've said repeatedly that I do not believe any
9 committee -- what the Committee does should be done in
10 public. But I also recognize the gravity of the
11 Committee's current investigation and the need for the
12 American people to be presented the facts so that they
13 might make their own judgments.
14 It is for that reason that this Committee has
15 now held its tenth open hearing of 2017, more than
16 double that of the Committee in recent years and the
17 fifth on the topic of Russian interference.
18 Attorney General Sessions, this venue is your
19 opportunity to separate fact from fiction and to set
20 the record straight on a number of allegations reported
21 in the press. For example, there are several issues
22 that I'm hopeful we will address today. One, did you
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1 have any meetings with Russian officials or their

2 proxies on behalf of the Trump campaign or during your
3 time as attorney general? Two, what was your
4 involvement with Candidate Trump's foreign policy team
5 and what were their possible interactions with
6 Russians? Three, why did you decide to recuse yourself
7 from the Government's Russian investigation? And
8 fourth, what role, if any, did you play in the removal
9 of then FBI Director Comey?
10 I look forward to a candid and honest
11 discussion as we continue to pursue the truth behind
12 Russia's interference in the 2016 elections. The
13 Committee's experienced staff is interviewing the
14 relevant parties. Having spoken to more than 35
15 individuals to date to include just yesterday an
16 interview of former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh
17 Johnson, we also continue to review some of the most
18 sensitive intelligence in our country's possession.
19 As I've said previously, we will establish the
20 facts, separate from rampant speculation and lay them
21 out for the American people to make their own judgment.
22 Only then will we as a nation be able to put this
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1 episode to rest and look to the future.

2 I'm hopeful that members will focus their
3 questions today on the Russia investigation and not
4 squander the opportunity by taking political or
5 partisan shots. The Vice Chairman and I continue to
6 lead this investigation together on what is a highly
7 charged political issue. We may disagree at times, but
8 we remain a unified team with a dedicated, focused and
9 professional staff working tirelessly on behalf of the
10 American people to find the truth.
11 The Committee has made much progress as the
12 political winds blow forcefully around us. And I think
13 all members would agree that despite a torrent of
14 public debate on who and what committee might be best
15 suited to lead on this issue, the Intelligence
16 Committee has lived up to its obligation to move
17 forward with purpose and above politics.
18 Mr. Attorney General, it's good to have you
19 back. I would now turn to the Vice Chairman for any
20 remarks he might have.
21 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Thank you,
22 Mr. Chairman. And I want to also thank the way that
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1 we're proceeding on this investigation.

2 Mr. Attorney General, it's good to see you
3 again. And we appreciate your appearance on the heels
4 of Mr. Comey's revealing testimony last week.
5 I do want to take a moment at the outset and
6 first express some concern with the process by which we
7 are seeing you, the Attorney General, today. It's my
8 understanding that you were originally scheduled to
9 testify in front of the House and Senate Appropriations
10 Committees today. I know those appearances have been
11 cancelled to come here instead.
12 While we appreciate his testimony before our
13 committee, I believe and I speak -- I believe I speak
14 for many of my colleagues that I believe he should also
15 answer questions for members of those committees and
16 the Judiciary Committee as well. Mr. Attorney General,
17 it is my hope that you will reschedule those
18 appearances as soon as possible.
19 In addition, I want to say at the outset that
20 while we consider your appearance today as just the
21 beginning of our interaction with you and your
22 department, Mr. Attorney General, we had always
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1 expected to talk to you as part of our investigation.

2 We believed it would be actually later in the process.
3 We're glad to accommodate your request to speak to us
4 today, but we also expect to have your commitment to
5 cooperate with all future requests and make yourself
6 available as necessary to this committee for, as the
7 Chairman has indicated, this very important
8 investigation.
9 Now, let's move to the subject of today's
10 discussion. Let's start with the campaign. You were
11 an early and ardent supporter of Mr. Trump. In March
12 you were named as chairman of the Trump campaign's
13 National Security Advisory Committee. You were much
14 more than a surrogate. You were a strategic advisor
15 who helped shape much of the campaign's national
16 security strategy. No doubt you will have key insights
17 about some of the key Trump associates that we're
18 seeking to hear from in the weeks ahead.
19 Questions have also been raised about some of
20 your own interactions with Russian officials during the
21 campaign. During your confirmation hearing in January
22 you said, quote, you did not have communications with
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1 Russians. Senator Leahy later asked you in writing

2 whether you had been in contact with anyone connected
3 to any part of the Russian government about the 2016
4 election. You answered, I believe, with a definitive
5 no.
6 Despite that, the fact is, as we discovered
7 later, that you did have interactions with Russian
8 government officials during the course of the campaign.
9 In March you acknowledged two meetings with the Russian
10 ambassador. Yet, there has also been some public
11 reports of a possible third meeting at the Mayflower
12 Hotel on April 27th.
13 I hope that today you will help clear up those
14 discrepancies. We also expect and hope, this is very
15 important, that you will be willing to provide the
16 Committee with any documents that we would need to shed
17 light on this issue such as emails or calendars.
18 Then there's the topic of the firing of former
19 FBI Director Comey. Last Thursday we received
20 testimony from Mr. Comey. Under oath, he outlined his
21 very troubling interactions with the President as well
22 as the circumstances of his firing. A few disturbing
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1 points stood out.

2 First, Mr. Comey, who has decades of
3 experience at the Department of Justice and at the FBI,
4 serving under presidents of both parties, was so
5 unnerved by the actions of the President that he felt,
6 quote, "compelled to fully document every interaction
7 they had."
8 Mr. Comey sat where you are sitting today and
9 testified that he was concerned that the President of
10 the United States might lie about the nature of their
11 meetings. That's a shocking statement from one of our
12 nation's top law enforcement officials.
13 We also heard that Director Comey took it as a
14 direction from the President that he was to drop the
15 FBI's investigation into former National Security
16 Advisor General Mike Flynn.
17 Finally, you heard from Mr. Comey that he
18 believes he was fired over his handling of the Russian
19 investigation. The President himself confirmed this in
20 statements to the media. This is deeply troubling for
21 all of us who believe, on both sides of the aisle, in
22 preserving the independence of the FBI.
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1 We have a lot of work in order to follow up on

2 these alarming disclosures. Mr. Attorney General, your
3 testimony today is an opportunity to begin the process
4 of asking those questions. For instance, again, and I
5 know others will ask about this, you recused yourself
6 from the Russian investigation yet you participated in
7 the firing of Mr. Comey over the handling of that same
8 investigation. We want to ask you about how you viewed
9 your recusal and whether you believe you've complied
10 fully.
11 In addition, we heard from Mr. Comey last week
12 that the President asked you to leave the Oval Office
13 so that he could speak one-on-one with Mr. Comey.
14 Again, a very concerning action. We will need to hear
15 from you about how you viewed the President's request
16 and whether you thought it was appropriate.
17 We also want to know if you are aware of any
18 attempts by the President to enlist leaders in the
19 Intelligence Community to undermine this very same
20 Russian investigation.
21 Most importantly, our committee will want to
22 hear what you are doing to ensure that the Russians or
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1 any other foreign adversaries cannot attack or

2 democratic process like this ever again. I'm concerned
3 that the President still does not recognize the
4 severity of the threat. He, to date, I believe has not
5 even acknowledged the unanimous conclusions of the U.S.
6 Intelligence Community that Russia massively intervened
7 in our elections.
8 The threat we face is real and it's not
9 limited to us. The recent events in France are again a
10 stark reminder that all Western democracies must take
11 steps to protect themselves. I believe the United
12 States can and must be a leader in this effort, but it
13 will require our administration to get serious about
14 this matter.
15 Finally, in the past several weeks we've seen
16 a concerning pattern of administration officials
17 refusing to answer public unclassified questions about
18 allegations about the President in this investigation.
19 We had a hearing with this subject last week. I want
20 to commend the Chairman who at the end of that hearing
21 made very clear that our witnesses -- it was not
22 acceptable for our witnesses to come before Congress
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1 without answers. The American people deserve to know

2 what's going on here.
3 Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to
4 the witness's testimony.
5 CHAIRMAN BURR: Thank you, Vice Chairman.
6 Attorney General Sessions, if you would stand,
7 I will administer the oath to you. Raise your right
8 hand if you would, please. Do you solemnly swear to
9 tell the truth and the whole truth and nothing but the
10 truth so help you God?
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I do.
12 CHAIRMAN BURR: Please be seated.
13 Thank you, Attorney General Sessions. The
14 floor is yours.
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Thank you very
16 much, Chairman Burr and Ranking Member Warner for
17 allowing me to publicly appear before your committee
18 today. I appreciate the Committee's critically
19 important efforts to investigate Russian interference
20 with our democratic processes. Such interference can
21 never be tolerated and I encourage every effort to get
22 to the bottom of any such allegations.
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1 As you know, the Deputy Attorney General has

2 appointed a special counsel to investigate the matters
3 related to the Russian interference in the 2016
4 election. I'm here today to address several issues
5 that have been specifically raised before this
6 committee and I appreciate the opportunity to respond
7 to questions as fully as the Lord enables me to do so.
8 But as I advise you, Mr. Chairman, in
9 consistence with longstanding Department of Justice
10 factors, I cannot and will not violate my duty to
11 protect the confidential communications I have with the
12 President.
13 Now, let me address some issues directly. I
14 did not have any private meetings nor do I recall any
15 conversations with any Russian officials at the
16 Mayflower Hotel. I did not attend any meetings at that
17 event separate -- prior to the speech I attended by the
18 President today.
19 I attended a reception with my staff that
20 included at least two dozen people and President Trump.
21 Though I do recall several conversations that I had
22 during that pre-speech reception, I do not have any
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1 recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian

2 ambassador or any other Russian officials. If any
3 brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian
4 ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it.
5 After the speech, I was interviewed by the
6 news media. There was an area for that in a different
7 room and then I left the hotel. But whether I ever
8 attended a reception where the Russian ambassador was
9 also present is entirely beside the point of this
10 investigation into Russian interference in the 2016
11 campaign.
12 Let me state this clearly, colleagues, I have
13 never met with or had any conversation with any
14 Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type
15 of interference with any campaign or election in the
16 United States. Further, I have no knowledge of any
17 such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump
18 campaign.
19 I was your colleague in this body for 20
20 years, at least some of you, and the suggestion that I
21 participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any
22 collusion with the Russian government to hurt this
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1 country which I have served with honor for 35 years or

2 to undermine the integrity of our democratic process is
3 an appalling and detestable lie.
4 Relatedly, there is the assertion that I did
5 not answer Senator Franken's question honestly at my
6 confirmation hearing. Colleagues, that is false. I
7 can't say colleagues now. I'm no longer a part of this
8 body. But former colleagues, that is false.
9 This is what happened. Senator Franken asked
10 me a rambling question after some six hours of
11 testimony that included dramatic new allegations that
12 the United States Intelligence Community, the U.S.
13 Intelligence Community, had advised President-elect
14 Trump, quote, "That there was a continuing exchange of
15 information during the campaign between Trump's
16 surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian
17 government", close quote.
18 I was taken aback by that explosive allegation
19 which he said was being reported as breaking news that
20 very day and which I had not heard. I wanted to refute
21 that immediately any suggestion that I was part of such
22 an activity. I replied, quote -- I replied to Senator
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1 Franken this way, quote, "Senator Franken, I'm not

2 aware of any of those activities. I have been called a
3 surrogate a time or two in that campaign and I didn't
4 have -- did not have communications with the Russians
5 and I'm unable to comment on it", close quote.
6 That was the context in which I was asked the
7 question and in that context my answer was a fair and
8 correct response to the charge as I understood it. I
9 was responding to this allegation that we had met
10 surrogates [skip in audio] Russians on a regular basis.
11 It simply did not occur to me to go further than the
12 context of the question and to list any conversations
13 that I may have had with Russians in routine situations
14 as I had many meetings with other foreign officials.
15 So please hear me now.
16 And it was only in March, after my
17 confirmation hearing, that a reporter asked [skip in
18 audio] ever met with any Russian officials. This was
19 the first time that question had squarely been posed to
20 me. On the same day we provided that reporter with the
21 information related to the meeting that I and my staff
22 had held in my Senate office with Ambassador Kislyak as
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1 well as the brief encounter in July after a speech that

2 I had given during the convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
3 I also provided the reporter with a list of 25
4 foreign ambassador meetings that I had during 2016. In
5 addition, I provided supplemental testimony to the
6 Senate Judiciary Committee to explain this event. So I
7 readily acknowledge these two meetings and certainly
8 not one thing happened that was improper in any one of
9 those meetings.
10 Let me also explain clearly the circumstances
11 of my recusal from the investigation into the Russian
12 interference with the 2016 election. Please,
13 colleagues, hear me on this. I was sworn in as
14 attorney general on Thursday, February 9th. The very
15 next day, as I had promised to the Judiciary Committee
16 I would do, at least in an early date, I met with
17 career department officials, including a senior ethics
18 official, to discuss some things public reported in the
19 press that might have some bearing on whether or not I
20 should recuse myself in this case.
21 From that point, February 10th, until I
22 announced my formal recusal on March 2nd, I was never
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1 briefed on any investigative details, did not access

2 any information about the investigation. I received
3 only the limited information that the Department's
4 career officials determined was necessary for me to
5 form and make a recusal decision.
6 As such, I have no knowledge about this
7 investigation as it is ongoing today beyond what has
8 been publically reported. I don't even read that
9 carefully. And I have taken no action whatsoever with
10 regard to any such investigation.
11 On the date of my formal recusal, my chief of
12 staff send an email to the heads of relevant
13 departments including by name to Director Comey of the
14 FBI to instruct them to inform their staffs of this
15 recusal and to advise them not to brief me or involve
16 me in any way in any such matters and, in fact, they
17 have not.
18 Importantly, I recused myself not because of
19 any asserted wrongdoing or any belief that I may have
20 been involved in any wrongdoing in the campaign, but
21 because a Department of Justice Regulation, 28 CFR
, I felt required it. That regulation states in
22 effect that Department employees should not participate
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1 in investigations of a campaign if they served as a

2 campaign advisor.
3 So the scope of my recusal, however, does not
4 and cannot interfere with my ability to oversee the
5 Department of Justice including the FBI which has an $8
6 billion budget and 35,000 employees. I presented to
7 the President my concerns and those of Deputy Attorney
8 General Rod Rosenstein about the ongoing leadership
9 issues at the FBI as stated in my letter recommending
10 the removal of Mr. Comey along with the Deputy Attorney
11 General's memorandum on that issue which had been
12 released publicly by the White House. Those represent
13 a clear statement of my views. I adopted Deputy
14 Attorney General Rosenstein's points that he made in
15 his memorandum and made my recommendation.
16 It is absurd, frankly, to suggest that a
17 recusal from a single specific investigation would
18 render the Attorney General unable to manage the
19 leadership of the various Department of Justice law
20 enforcement components that conduct thousands of
21 investigations.
22 Finally, during his testimony, Mr. Comey
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1 discussed a conversation that he and I had about the

2 meeting that Mr. Comey had with the President. I'm
3 happy to share with the Committee my recollection of
4 that conversation that I had with Mr. Comey.
5 Following a routine morning threat briefing,
6 Mr. Comey spoke to me and my chief of staff. While he
7 did not provide me with any of the substance of his
8 conversation with the President apparently the day
9 before, Mr. Comey expressed concern about proper
10 communications protocol with the White House and with
11 the President. I responded. He didn't recall this,
12 but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI
13 and the Department of Justice needed to be careful to
14 follow Department policies regarding appropriate
15 contacts with the White House.
16 Mr. Comey had served in the Department for
17 better than two decades and I was confident that he
18 understood and would abide by the well-established
19 rules limiting communications with the White House
20 especially about ongoing investigations. That's what
21 is so important to control. My comments encouraged him
22 to do just that and, indeed, as I understand it, he in
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1 fact did that.

2 Our Department of Justice rules on proper
3 communications between the Department and the White
4 House have been in place for years. Mr. Comey well
5 knew them. I thought and assumed correctly that he
6 complied with them.
7 So I'll finish with this, I recused myself
8 from any investigation into the campaign for president
9 but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor
10 against scurrilous and false allegations.
11 At all times throughout the course of the
12 campaign, the confirmation process and since becoming
13 attorney general, I have dedicated myself to the
14 highest standards. I have earned a reputation for that
15 at home and in this body, I believe, over decades of
16 performance.
17 The people of this country expect an honest
18 and transparent government and that's what we're giving
19 them. This President wants to focus on the people of
20 this country to ensure they are treated fairly and kept
21 safe. The Trump agenda is to improve the lives of the
22 American people. I know some have different ways of
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1 achieving this and different agendas, but that is his

2 agenda and it is what I share.
3 Importantly, as attorney general, I have a
4 responsibility to enforce the laws of this nation, to
5 protect this country from its enemies and to ensure the
6 fair administration of justice and I intend to work
7 every day with our fine team and the superb
8 professionals in the Department of Justice to advance
9 the important work we have to do.
10 These false attacks, the innuendos, the leaks
11 you can be sure will not intimidate me. In fact, these
12 events have only strengthened my resolve to fulfill my
13 duty, my duty to reduce crime, to support our federal,
14 state and local law enforcement officers who work on
15 our streets every day.
16 Just last week it was reported that overdose
17 deaths in this country are rising faster than ever
18 recorded. Last year it was 52,000. The New York Times
19 just estimated next year it will be 62,000 overdose
20 deaths. The murder rate is up over ten percent, the
21 largest increase since 1968.
22 Together we're telling the gangs, the cartels,
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1 the fraudsters and the terrorists we are coming after

2 you. Every one of our citizens, no matter who they are
3 or where they live, has the right to be safe in their
4 homes and communities. And I will not be deterred. I
5 will not allow this great Department from being
6 deterred from its vital mission.
7 Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
8 Warner. I have a great honor to appear before you
9 today and I will do my best to answer your questions.
10 CHAIRMAN BURR: General Sessions, thank you.
11 Thank you for that testimony.
12 I would like to note for members, the Chair
13 and the Vice Chairman will be recognized for ten
14 minutes. Members will be recognized for five minutes.
15 And I would like to remind our members that we are in
16 open session. No references to classified or Committee
17 sensitive materials should be used relative to your
18 questions. With that, I recognize myself at this time
19 for ten minutes.
20 General Sessions, you talked about the
21 Mayflower Hotel where the President gave his first
22 foreign policy speech and it's been covered in the
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1 press that the President was there, you were there,

2 others were there. From your testimony you said you
3 don't remember whether Ambassador Kislyak was there,
4 the Russian ambassador; is that correct?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did not remember
6 that. I did not remember that but I understand he was
7 there and so I don't doubt that he was. I believe
8 those representations are correct. In fact, I recently
9 saw a video of him coming into the room.
10 CHAIRMAN BURR: But you never remember having
11 a conversation or a meeting with Ambassador Kislyak?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I do not.
13 CHAIRMAN BURR: And there was -- in that
14 event, was there ever a private room setting that you
15 were involved in?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No.
17 CHAIRMAN BURR: With --
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Other than the
19 reception area that was shut off from, I guess, the
20 main crowd, a couple of dozen, two to three dozen
21 people.
22 CHAIRMAN BURR: I would take for granted that
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1 at an event like this the President shook some hands.

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yes, he came in
3 and shook hands in the group.
4 CHAIRMAN BURR: Okay. You mentioned that
5 there were some staff that were with you at that event.
6 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: My legislative
7 director at the time was not --
8 CHAIRMAN BURR: Your Senate staff?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senate legislative
10 director, who was a retired U.S. Army colonel, had
11 served on the armed services staff with Senator John
12 Warner before she joined my staff, was with me in the
13 reception area and throughout the rest of the events.
14 CHAIRMAN BURR: Would you say that you were
15 there as a United States senator or as a surrogate of
16 the campaign for this event?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I came there as an
18 interested person very anxious to see how President
19 Trump would do in his first major foreign policy
20 address. I believe he had only given one major speech
21 before. That was maybe at the Jewish AIPAC event and
22 so it was an interesting time for me to observe his
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1 delivery and the message he would make. That was my

2 main purpose of being there.
3 CHAIRMAN BURR: Now, you reported two other
4 meetings with Ambassador Kislyak, one in July on the
5 sidelines of the Republican Convention, I believe, and
6 one in September in your Senate office. Had you had
7 any other interactions with government officials over
8 the year in a campaign capacity? I'm not asking you
9 from the standpoint of your Senate life --
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yeah.
11 CHAIRMAN BURR: -- but in a campaign capacity.
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, Mr. Chairman.
13 I've stretched my -- racked my brain to make sure I
14 could answer any of those questions correctly and I did
15 not.
16 I would just offer for you that when asked
17 about whether I had had any meetings with Russians by
18 the reporter in March, we immediately recalled the
19 conversation, the encounter I had at the convention and
20 the meeting in my office and made that public.
21 I never intended not to include that. I would
22 gladly have reported the meeting, the encounter that
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1 may have occurred, that some say occurred in the

2 Mayflower if I had remembered it or if it actually
3 occurred which I don't remember that it did.
4 CHAIRMAN BURR: General Sessions, on March
5 2nd, 2017 you formally recused yourself from any
6 involvement in the Russian investigation being
7 conducted by the FBI and the Department of Justice.
8 What are the specific reasons that you chose to recuse
9 yourself?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, the specific
11 reason, Mr. Chairman, is a CFR, Code of Federal
12 Regulations put out by the Department of Justice, part
13 of the Department of Justice rules, and it says this, I
14 will read from it, 28 CFR 45.2. "Unless authorized, no
15 employee shall participate in a criminal investigation
16 or prosecution if he has a personal or political
17 relationship with any person involved in the conduct of
18 an investigation." It goes on to say "in a political
19 campaign" and it says "if you have a close
20 identification with an elected official or candidate
21 arising from service as a principal advisor, you should
22 not participate in an investigation of that campaign."
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1 CHAIRMAN BURR: So would you --

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: So many have
3 suggested that my recusal is because I felt I was a
4 subject of the investigation myself, that I may have
5 done something wrong, but this is the reason I recused
6 myself. I felt I was required to under the rules of
7 the Department of Justice and, as a leader of the
8 Department of Justice, I should comply with the rules
9 obviously.
10 CHAIRMAN BURR: So did your legal counsel
11 basically know from day one you would have to recuse
12 yourself of this investigation because of the current
13 statute?
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I do have a
15 timeline of what occurred. I was sworn in on the 9th,
16 I believe, of February. I then, on the 10th, had my
17 first meeting to generally discuss this issue where the
18 CFR was not discussed. We had several other meetings
19 and it became clear to me over time that I qualified as
20 a significant -- a principal advisor-type person to the
21 campaign and it was the appropriate and right thing for
22 me to recuse myself.
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1 CHAIRMAN BURR: So this could explain Director

2 Comey's comments that he knew that there was a
3 likelihood you would recuse yourself because he was
4 probably familiar with this same statute.
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I think
6 probably so. I'm sure that the attorneys in the
7 Department of Justice probably communicated with him
8 because, Mr. Chairman, let me say this to you clearly.
9 In effect, as a matter of fact, I recused myself that
10 day. I never received any information about the
11 campaign. I thought there was a problem with me being
12 able to serve as attorney general over this issue and I
13 felt I would possibly have to recuse myself and I took
14 the position, correctly I believe, not to involve
15 myself in the campaign in any way and I did not.
16 CHAIRMAN BURR: You made a reference to your
17 chief of staff sending out an email immediately
18 notifying internally of your decision to recuse. Would
19 you ask your chief of staff to make that email
20 available?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: We would be
22 pleased to do so and I think I have it with me now.
PLANET DEPOS
1 CHAIRMAN BURR: Thank you, General Sessions.

2 Have you had any interactions with the Special Counsel
3 Robert Mueller since his appointment?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I have not. With
5 regard to the email we sent out, Mr. Comey, Director
6 Comey indicated that he did not know when I recused
7 myself or did not receive notice. One of those emails
8 went to him by name. So a lot happens in our offices.
9 I'm not accusing him of any wrongdoing, but in fact it
10 was sent to him and to his name.
11 CHAIRMAN BURR: Okay. General Sessions, as
12 you said, Mr. Comey testified at length before the
13 Committee about his interactions with the President, in
14 some cases highlighting your presence at those
15 meetings. And you addressed the meeting where all were
16 asked to leave except for Director Comey and he had a
17 private meeting with the President and you said that he
18 did inform you of how uncomfortable that was and your
19 recommendation was that the FBI and DOJ needed to
20 follow the rules limiting further correspondence.
21 Did Director Comey ever express additional
22 discomfort with conversations that the President might
PLANET DEPOS
1 have had with him because he had two additional

2 meetings and I think a total of six phone calls.
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That is correct.
4 There's nothing wrong with the President having a
5 communication with the FBI director. What is
6 problematic for any Department of Justice employee is
7 to talk to any cabinet persons or White House
8 officials, high officials about ongoing investigations
9 that are not properly cleared through the top levels of
10 the Department of Justice and so it was a regulation I
11 think is healthy. I thought we needed and strongly
12 believe we needed to restore discipline within our
13 department to adhere to just those kinds of rules plus
14 leaking rules and some of the other things that I think
15 are a bit lax and need to be restored.
16 CHAIRMAN BURR: You couldn't have had a
17 conversation with the President about the investigation
18 because you were never briefed on the investigation.
20 I would note that with regard to the private meeting
21 that Director Comey had, by his own admission I believe
22 there is as many as six such meetings, several of them
PLANET DEPOS
1 he had with President Trump. I think he had two with

2 President Obama. So it's not improper per say, but it
3 would not be justified for a Department official to
4 share information about an ongoing investigation
5 without prior review and clearance from above.
6 CHAIRMAN BURR: General Sessions, just one
7 last question. You were the chair of this foreign
8 policy team for the Trump campaign. To the best of
9 your knowledge, did that team ever meet?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: We met a couple of
11 times maybe, some of the people did, but we never
12 functioned, frankly, Mr. Chairman, as a coherent team.
13 We had various meetings --
14 CHAIRMAN BURR: Were there any members of that
15 team you never met?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yes.
17 CHAIRMAN BURR: Okay. Vice Chairman?
18 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Thank you, General
19 Sessions. As I mentioned in my opening statement, we
20 appreciate your appearance here but we do see this as
21 the first step and we would just like to get your
22 commitment that you'll agree to make yourself available
PLANET DEPOS
1 as the Committee needs in the weeks and months ahead.

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senator Warner, I
3 will commit to appear before this committee and other
4 committees as appropriate. I don't think it's good
5 policy to continually bring cabinet members or the
6 Attorney General before multiple committees going over
7 the same things over and over. I hope --
8 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: I know other members of
9 the Judiciary Committee or Appropriations Committee may
10 want to raise those issues.
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, they -- I'm
12 sure --
13 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: But let me just ask
14 about this committee.
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I just gave you my
16 answer, Mr. --
17 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Thank you. What about
18 -- can we also get your commitment, since there will be
19 questions about some of these meetings that took place
20 or not, that we could get access to documents or
21 memoranda, your day book or something so we can --
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Mr. Chairman,
PLANET DEPOS
1 we'll be glad to provide appropriate responses to your

2 questions and review them carefully --
3 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Thank you.
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- and try to be
5 responsive.
6 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Yesterday a friend of
7 the President was reported to suggesting that President
8 Trump was considering removing Director Mueller as
9 special counsel. Do you have confidence in Director
10 Mueller's ability to conduct his investigation fairly
11 and impartially?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, first, I
13 don't know about these reports and have no basis to
14 ascertain their --
15 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: But I'm asking do you -
16 -
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- their validity.
18 I have known Mr. Mueller over the years. He served 12
19 years as an FBI director. I knew him before that. And
20 I have confidence in Mr. Mueller --
21 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: So you have confidence
22 he can do his job?
PLANET DEPOS
1 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- but I'm not

2 going to discuss any hypotheticals of what might be a
3 factual situation in the future that I'm not aware of
4 today because I know nothing about the investigation --
5 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Do you believe --
6 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- and I fully
7 recuse myself.
8 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: I've got a series of
9 questions, sir. Do you believe the President has
10 confidence in Director Mueller?
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I have no idea.
12 I've not talked to him about it.
13 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Now, if we commit to
14 this committee not to take any personal actions that
15 might result in Director Mueller's firing or dismissal?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I think I
17 probably could say that with confidence because since
18 I'm recused from the investigation.
19 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: (inaudible).
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: In fact, the way
21 it works, Senator Warner, is that the acting attorney
22 general of this investigation --
PLANET DEPOS
1 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: I'm aware of the

2 process, but I just want to get you on the record that
3 you would not --
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- is Deputy
5 Attorney General Rod Rosenstein --
6 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: With your recusal you
7 would not take any actions to try to have Special
8 Investigator Mueller removed?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I wouldn't think
10 that would be appropriate for me to do.
11 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Yes, sir. I agree. To
12 your knowledge, have any Department of Justice
13 officials been involved with conversations about any
14 possibility of presidential pardons about any of the
15 individuals involved with the Russian investigation?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Mr. Chairman, I'm
17 not able to comment on conversations with high
18 officials within the White House. That would be a
19 violation of the communications rule that I have to
20 adhere to.
21 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Well, is that -- just
22 so I can understand, is the basis of that unwillingness
PLANET DEPOS
1 to answer based on executive privilege or what --

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: It's a
3 longstanding policy of the Department of Justice not to
4 comment on conversations that the Attorney General has
5 had with the President of the United States for
6 confidential reasons that really are founded in the co-
7 equal branch of powers and the Constitution of the
8 United States.
9 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: But just so I'm
10 understanding, does that mean -- are you claiming
11 executive privilege today, sir?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I'm not claiming
13 executive privilege because that's the President's
14 power and I have no power to claim executive privilege.
15 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: What about
16 conversations with other Department of Justice or other
17 White House officials about potential pardons? Not the
18 President, sir.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Mr. Chairman,
20 without in any way suggesting that I have had any
21 conversations concerning pardons, totally apart from
22 that, there are privileges of communication within the
PLANET DEPOS
1 Department of Justice that we share, all of us do. We

2 have a right to have full and robust debate within the
3 Department of Justice. We encourage people to speak up
4 and argue cases on different sides and those arguments
5 are not --
6 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: I would hope they're
7 not.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- revealed.
9 Historically we've seen that they shouldn't be
10 revealed.
11 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: I would hope that you
12 would agree that since you've recused yourself from
13 this investigation that if the President or others were
14 to pardon someone during the midst of this
15 investigation or our investigation or Director
16 Mueller's investigation, that would be, I think,
17 problematic.
18 Let me -- I want to -- one of the comments you
19 made in your testimony was that you had reached this
20 conclusion about the performance of then Director
21 Comey's ability to lead the FBI, that you agreed with
22 Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein's memo. The fact
PLANET DEPOS
1 that you worked with Director Comey for some time, did
2 you ever have a conversation as a superior of Director
3 Comey with his failure to perform or some of these
4 accusations that he wasn't running the FBI in a good
5 way and that somehow the FBI is in turmoil? Did you
6 have any conversations with Director Comey about those
7 subjects?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did not.
9 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: So you were his
10 superior and there was some fairly harsh things said
11 about Director Comey, you never thought it was
12 appropriate to raise those concerns before he was
13 actually terminated by the President?
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did not do so.
15 A memorandum was prepared by the Deputy Attorney
16 General who evaluated his performance, noted some
17 serious problems with it. One of --
18 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: And you agreed with
19 those contentions?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I agreed with
21 those. In fact, Senator Warner, we had talked about it
22 even before I was confirmed and before he was
PLANET DEPOS
1 confirmed. It's something that we both agreed to that

2 a fresh start at the FBI was probably the best thing.
3 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: It just, again, seems a
4 little -- I could understand if you talked about that
5 before you came on, you had a chance for a fresh start,
6 there was no fresh start. Suddenly we're in the midst
7 of the investigation and with timing it seems a little
8 peculiar that what kind of, at least to me, was out of
9 the blue. The President fires the FBI director and if
10 there are all these problems of disarray and a lack of
11 (inaudible) at the FBI, all things that the acting
12 director of the FBI denied is the case, I would have
13 thought that somebody would have had that kind of
14 conversation with Director Comey at least to know that.
15 Let's go to the May -- or the April 27th
16 meeting. It's been brought up, and I think the
17 Chairman brought it up, by the time April 27th came
18 around you had already been named as the chair of then
19 Candidate Trump's national security advisory. So
20 showing up to that meeting would be appropriate not
21 only --
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That was the
PLANET DEPOS
1 Mayflower Hotel?
2 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Right. Yes, sir. Yes,
3 sir. And my understanding was that the President's
4 son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was at that meeting as well?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I believe he was,
6 yes.
7 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: And you don't recollect
8 whether Mr. Kushner had any conversations with
9 Ambassador Kislyak at that session?
11 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Okay. And to the best
12 of your memory, you had no conversation with Ambassador
13 Kislyak at that meeting?
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't recall it,
15 Senator Warner. It would have been -- certainly I can
16 assure you nothing improper if I had had a conversation
17 with him and it's conceivable that that occurred. I
18 just don't remember it.
19 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: But there was nothing
20 in your notes or memory so that when you had a chance
21 and you did, and I appreciate it, correct the record
22 about the other two sessions in response to Senator
PLANET DEPOS
1 Franken, certainly this one didn't pop into your memory

2 that maybe in the over abundance of caution that you
3 ought to report this session as well?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I guess I
5 could say that I possibly had a meeting but I still do
6 not recall it and I did not in any way fail to record
7 something in my testimony or in my subsequent letter
8 intentionally false.
9 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: I understand that, sir.
10 I'm just trying to understand when you corrected the
11 record and clearly by the time you had a chance to
12 correct the record I would have thought you would have
13 known Ambassador Kislyak was at that April 27th
14 session. It received some -- quite a bit of press
15 notoriety. And again, according to what the Chairman
16 has said, just again for the record, there was no other
17 meeting with any other officials of the Russian
18 government during the campaign season?
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Not to my
20 recollection. And I would just say with regard to the
21 two encounters, one at the Mayflower Hotel that you
22 referred to --
PLANET DEPOS
1 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Yes, sir.

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- I came there
3 not knowing he was going to be there. I don't have any
4 recollection of even knowing he would be there. I
5 didn't have any communications with him before or after
6 that event. And likewise, at the event at the
7 convention, I went off the convention grounds to a
8 college campus for an event that had been setup and --
9 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: But at the Mayflower --
10 at the Mayflower event --
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, let me just
12 follow up on that one.
13 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Yes, sir.
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I didn't know he
15 would be in the audience and had no --
16 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: So at the Mayflower --
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Okay.
18 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: -- there was this, I
19 guess, VIP reception first and then people went into
20 the speech, is that -- just so I get a --
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That's my
22 impression. That's my recollection.
PLANET DEPOS
1 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: And you were part of

2 the VIP reception?
4 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Yes, sir. General
5 Sessions, one of the, again, troubling things that I
6 need to sort through is you -- Mr. Comey's testimony
7 last week was that he felt uncomfortable when the
8 President asked everyone else to leave the room. He
9 left the impression that you lingered with perhaps the
10 sense that you felt uncomfortable about it as well.
11 I'm going to allow you obviously to answer and correct
12 if that's not the right impression. After this meeting
13 took place which clearly Director Comey had some level
14 of uncomfortableness, you never asked Director Comey
15 what took place in that meeting?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I would just
17 say it this way. We were there. I was standing there
18 and without revealing any conversation that took place,
19 what I do recall is that I did depart. I believe
20 everyone else did depart. And Director Comey was
21 sitting in front of the President's desk and they were
22 talking. So that's what I do remember. I believe it
PLANET DEPOS
1 was the next day that he said something, expressed

2 concern about being left alone with the President.
3 But that in itself is not problematic. He did
4 not tell me at that time any details about anything
5 that was said that was improper. I affirmed his
6 concern that we should be following the proper
7 guidelines of the Department of Justice and basically
8 backed him up in his concerns in that he should not
9 carry on any conversation with the President or anyone
10 else about an investigation in a way that was not
11 proper. I felt he so long in the Department, former
12 deputy attorney general as I recall, knew those
13 policies probably a good deal better than I did.
14 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Thank you, sir. And I
15 think you (inaudible), but it did appear that Mr. Comey
16 felt that the conversation was improper?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: He was concerned
18 about it and his recollection of what he said to me
19 about his concern, I don't -- is consistent with my
20 recollection.
21 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Risch.
22 SENATOR RISCH: Attorney General Sessions,
PLANET DEPOS
1 good to hear you talk about how important this Russian

2 interference and active measures in our campaign is. I
3 don't think there's any American who would disagree
4 with the fact that we need to drill down to this, know
5 what happened, get it out in front of the American
6 people and do what we can to stop it. Again, and
7 that's what this committee was charged to do and that's
8 what this committee started to do.
9 As you probably know, on February 14th the New
10 York Times published an article alleging that there was
11 constant communications between the Trump campaign and
12 the Russians in collusion regarding the election. Do
13 you recall that article when it came out?
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Not exactly.
15 SENATOR RISCH: Generally.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: But I was --
17 generally I remember those charges.
18 SENATOR RISCH: And Mr. Comey told us when he
19 was here last week that he had a very specific
20 recollection. In fact, he chased it down through the
21 Intelligence Community and was not able to find a
22 scintilla of evidence to that effect. Then he sought
PLANET DEPOS
1 out both Republicans and Democrats up here to tell them

2 that this was false, that there was no such facts
3 anywhere that corroborated what the New York Times had
4 reported.
5 Nonetheless, after that this committee took
6 that on and it is one of the things that we've spent
7 really substantially more time on that than we have on
8 the Russian active measures. We've been through
9 thousands of pages of information, interviewed
10 witnesses and everything else. We're really no
11 different than where we were when this whole thing
12 started. And there's been no reports that I know of of
13 any factual information in that regard. Are you aware
14 of any such information of collusion?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Is that arose from
16 the dossier, so-called dossier, Senator Risch? Is that
17 what you're referring to?
18 SENATOR RISCH: Well, anywhere.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I believe that's
20 the report that Senator Franken hit me with when I was
21 testifying and it, I think, has been pretty
22 substantially discredited, but you would know more than
PLANET DEPOS
1 I. But what was said that would suggest I participated

2 in continuing communications with Russians as a
3 surrogate is absolutely false.
4 SENATOR RISCH: Mr. Sessions, there's been all
5 this talk about conversations and that you had some
6 conversations with the Russians. Senators up here who
7 are in foreign relations, intelligence or armed
8 services, conversations with officers of other
9 governments or ambassadors or what have you are every
10 day occurrences here, multiple time occurrences for
11 most of us; is that a fair statement?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I think it is,
13 yes.
14 SENATOR RISCH: And indeed if you run into one
15 in the grocery store you're going to have a
16 conversation with him; is that fair?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Could very well
18 happen and be nothing improper.
19 SENATOR RISCH: All right. On the other hand,
20 collusion with Russians, or any other government for
21 that matter, when it comes to our elections certainly
22 would be improper and illegal; would that be a fair
PLANET DEPOS
1 statement?
2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Absolutely.
3 SENATOR RISCH: All right. Are you willing to
4 sit here and tell the American people, unfiltered by
5 what the media is going to put out, that you
6 participated in no conversations of any kind where
7 there was collusion between the Trump campaign and any
8 other foreign government?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I can say that
10 absolutely and I have no hesitation to do so.
11 SENATOR RISCH: Mr. Sessions, you're a former
12 U.S. attorney, former United States senator and the
13 Attorney General of the United States. You
14 participated, as you've described, in the Trump
15 campaign and as such you traveled with the campaign, I
16 gather?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did.
18 SENATOR RISCH: You spoke for the campaign at
19 times?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, on a number
21 of occasions. I was not continually on the --
22 SENATOR RISCH: Based upon your experience and
PLANET DEPOS
1 based upon your participation in the campaign, did you

2 hear even a whisper or a suggestion or anyone making
3 reference within that campaign that somehow the
4 Russians were involved in that campaign?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did not.
6 SENATOR RISCH: Okay. What would you have
7 done if you had heard that?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I would have
9 been shocked and I would have known it was improper.
10 SENATOR RISCH: And headed for the exit, I
11 suppose.
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, maybe. So
13 this was a, you know, a serious -- this is a serious
14 matter because what you're talking about, hacking into
15 a private person or DNC computer and obtaining
16 information and spreading that out, that's just not
17 right. And I believe it's likely that laws were
18 violated if that actually occurred. So it's an
19 improper thing.
20 SENATOR RISCH: Mr. Sessions, has any person
21 from the White House or the administration, including
22 the President of the United States, either directed you
PLANET DEPOS
1 or asked you to do any unlawful or illegal act since

2 you've been Attorney General of the United States?
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, Senator Risch,
4 they've not.
5 SENATOR RISCH: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
6 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Feinstein.
7 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: Thanks very much, Mr.
8 Chairman.
9 Welcome, Attorney General.
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Thank you.
11 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: On May 19th Mr. Rosenstein
12 in a statement to the House of Representatives
13 essentially told them that he learned on May 8th that
14 President Trump intended to remove Director Comey.
15 When you wrote your letter on May 9, did you know that
16 the President had already decided to fire Director
17 Comey?
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senator Feinstein,
19 I would say that I believe it's been made public that
20 the President asked us our opinion, it was given, and
21 he asked us to put that in writing and I don't know how
22 much more he said about it than that, but I believe he
PLANET DEPOS
1 has talked about it and I would let his words speak for
2 themselves.
3 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: Well, on May 11th on NBC
4 Nightly News two days later, the President stated he
5 was going to fire Comey regardless of the
6 recommendation. So I'm puzzled about the
7 recommendation because the decision had been made. So
8 what was the need for you to write a recommendation?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, we were
10 asked our opinion and when we expressed it which was
11 consistent with the memorandum and letter we wrote, I
12 felt comfortable, and I guess the Deputy Attorney
13 General did too, in providing that information in
14 writing.
15 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: So do you concur with the
16 President that he was going to fire Comey regardless of
17 recommendation because the problem was the Russian
18 investigation?
20 I guess I'll just have to let his words speak for
21 himself. I'm not sure what was in his mind explicitly
22 when we talked with him.
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: Did you ever discuss

2 Director Comey's FBI handling of the Russia
3 investigations with the President or anyone else?
5 that would call for a communication between the
6 Attorney General --
7 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: I understand that.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- and I'm not
9 able to comment on that.
10 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: You are not able to answer
11 the question here whether you ever discussed that with
12 him?
13 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That's correct.
14 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: And how do you view that -
15 - since you discussed his termination, why wouldn't you
16 discuss the reasons?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, those were
18 put in writing and sent to the President and he made
19 those public so he made that public, not --
20 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: So you have no verbal
21 conversation with him --
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well --
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: -- about the firing of

2 Mr. Comey?
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- I'm not able to
4 discuss with you or confirm or deny the nature of
5 private conversations that I may have had with the
6 President on this subject or others. And I know how
7 this will be discussed, but that's the rule that has
8 been --
9 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: You know, I --
10 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: -- long adhered to by
11 the Department of Justice, as you know, Senator
12 Feinstein.
13 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: You're a longtime
14 colleague, but we heard Mr. Coats and we heard Admiral
15 Rogers say essentially the same thing when it was easy
16 just to say, if the answer was no, no.
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, it would
18 have been easier to say, if it was yes, yes, but both
19 would have been improper.
20 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: Okay. So how exactly were
21 you involved in the termination of Director Comey?
22 Because I am looking at your letter dated May 9th and
PLANET DEPOS
1 you say "The director of the FBI must be someone who

2 follows faithfully the rules and principles, who sets
3 the right example for our law enforcement officials.
4 Therefore, I must recommend that you remove Director
5 Comey and identify an experience and qualified
6 individual to lead the great men and women of the FBI."
7 Do you really believe that this had to do with Director
8 Comey's performance with the men and women of the FBI?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That was a clear
10 view of mine and of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein
11 as he set out at some length in memorandum which I
12 adopted and sent forward to the President that we had
13 problems there and it was my best judgment that a fresh
14 start at the FBI was the appropriate thing to do. And
15 when I said that to the President, it's something I had
16 adhered to.
17 Deputy Rosenstein's letter dealt with a number
18 of things. When Mr. Comey declined the Clinton
19 prosecution, that was really a usurpation of the
20 authority of the federal prosecutors in the Department
21 of Justice. It was a stunning development. The FBI is
22 the investigative team. They don't decide prosecution
PLANET DEPOS
1 policies. And so that was a stunderous thing.

2 He also commented at some length on the
3 declination of the Clinton prosecution which you should
4 not normally -- you shouldn't do. The policies have
5 been historic. If you decline, you decline, and you
6 don't talk about it.
7 There were other things that had happened that
8 indicated to me a lack of discipline and it caused
9 controversy on both sides of the aisle and I had come
10 to the conclusion that a fresh start was appropriate
11 and did not mind putting that in writing.
12 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: My time is up.
14 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: Thank you very much.
15 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Rubio.
16 SENATOR RUBIO: Thank you.
17 Thank you for being here, Attorney General. I
18 want to go back to February 14th and kind of close the
19 loop on the details. Director Comey was here, provided
20 great detail about that day. So what I've heard so far
21 is there was a meeting in the Oval Office on the 14th.
22 You recall being there along with him. At some point
PLANET DEPOS
1 the meeting concluded. The President -- everyone got

2 up to leave. The President asked Director Comey to
3 stay behind, correct?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, that's a
5 communication in the White House that I would not
6 comment on.
7 SENATOR RUBIO: All right.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I do --
9 SENATOR RUBIO: Do you remember seeing him
10 stay behind?
12 SENATOR RUBIO: Okay. And his testimony was
13 that you lingered and his view of it was you lingered
14 because you knew that you needed to stay. That was his
15 characterization. Do you remember lingering? Do you
16 remember feeling like you needed to stay?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I do recall being
18 one of the last ones to leave, yes.
19 SENATOR RUBIO: Did you decide to be one of
20 the last ones to leave?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't know how
22 that occurred. We had finished a -- I think a
PLANET DEPOS
1 terrorism, counter-terrorism briefing there. A number

2 of people were there and people were filtering out and
3 I eventually left and I do recall that I think I was
4 the last or one of the last two or three to leave.
5 SENATOR RUBIO: Would it be fair to say that
6 you felt like perhaps you needed to stay because it
7 involved the FBI director?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I don't know
9 how I would characterize that, Senator Rubio. I left.
10 It didn't seem to me to be a major problem. I knew
11 that Director Comey, long time experienced in the
12 Department of Justice, could handle himself well.
13 SENATOR RUBIO: So you saw him after that and
14 he characterized it as he went up to you and said, you
15 know, "Never leave me alone with the President again.
16 It's not appropriate." And he said, this is his
17 characterization, you just kind of shrugged like as if
18 to say what am I supposed to do about it?
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I think I
20 described it more completely, correctly. He raised
21 that issue with me, I believe, the next day. And I
22 think that was correct. And he expressed concern to me
PLANET DEPOS
1 about that private conversation. And I agreed with him

2 essentially that there are rules on private
3 conversations with the President.
4 But there's not a prohibition on a private
5 discussion with the President. As I believe, he's
6 acknowledged six or more himself with President Obama
7 and President Trump. So I didn't feel like -- that's
8 the first -- and he gave me no detail about what it was
9 that he was concerned about.
10 SENATOR RUBIO: So would he --
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: So I didn't say I
12 wouldn't be able to respond if he called me. He
13 certainly knew that with regard -- that he could call
14 his direct supervisor, which in the Department of
15 Justice a direct supervisor to the FBI is the deputy
16 attorney general. He could have complained to the
17 Deputy or to me at anytime if he felt pressured, but I
18 have no doubt that he would not yield to any pressure.
19 SENATOR RUBIO: Do you know if the President
20 records conversations in the Oval Office or anywhere in
21 the White House?
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR RUBIO: Let me ask you this, if in

2 fact any president was to record conversations in their
3 official duties in the White House or the like, would
4 there be an obligation to preserve those records?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't know,
6 Senator Rubio, probably so.
7 SENATOR RUBIO: I want to go to the campaign
8 for a moment. As I'm sure you're aware, it's been
9 widely reported that Russian intelligence agencies
10 often pose not simply as an official but in cover as
11 businessmen, a journalist and the like. At any point
12 during the campaign did you have an interaction with
13 anyone who in hindsight you look back and say they were
14 trying to influence me or gain insight, that in
15 hindsight you look at and wonder?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't believe in
17 my conversations with the three times --
18 SENATOR RUBIO: Just in general.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No. Well, I met a
20 lot of people, a lot of foreign officials that wanted
21 to argue their case for their country and to point out
22 things that they thought were important for their
PLANET DEPOS
1 countries.
2 SENATOR RUBIO: But never --
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That's a normal
4 thing, I guess, we talk about.
5 SENATOR RUBIO: Right, but as far as someone
6 who is not an official from another country, just a
7 businessman or anyone walking down the street who kind
8 of struck you as someone that was trying to find out
9 what you were up to or what the campaign was up to, you
10 never remember any sort of interaction that in
11 hindsight appears suspicious?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I'd have to
13 rack my brain, but I don't recall it now.
14 SENATOR RUBIO: My last question. You were on
15 the foreign policy team. The platform, the Republican
16 was changed to not provide defensive weapons to
17 Ukraine. Were you involved in that decision? Do you
18 know how that change was made or who was involved in
19 making that change?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I was not active
21 in the platform committee, did not participate in that
22 and don't think I had any direct involvement in that.
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR RUBIO: Do you know who did or you

2 have no recollection of a debate about that issue
3 internally in the campaign?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I never watched
5 the debate if it occurred on the platform committee, I
6 think it did. So I don't recall that, Senator Rubio,
7 and I would have to think about that.
8 SENATOR RUBIO: Thank you.
9 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Wyden.
10 SENATOR WYDEN: Thank you very much,
11 Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for
12 holding this hearing in the open, in full view of the
13 American people where it belongs.
14 I believe the American people have had it with
15 stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that
16 answers to relevant questions are privileged and off
17 limits or that they can't be provided in public or that
18 it would be, quote, "inappropriate" for witnesses to
19 tell us what they know.
20 We are talking about an attack on our
21 democratic institutions and stonewalling of any kind is
22 unacceptable. And General Sessions has acknowledged
PLANET DEPOS
1 that there is no legal basis for this stonewalling. So

2 now to questions.
3 Last Thursday I asked former Director Comey
4 about the FBI's interactions with you, General
5 Sessions, prior to your stepping aside from the Russian
6 investigation. Mr. Comey said that your continued
7 engagement with the Russian investigation was, quote,
8 "problematic" and he, Mr. Comey, could not discuss it
9 in public. Mr. Comey also said that FBI personnel had
10 been calling for you to step aside from the
11 investigation at least two weeks before you finally did
12 so.
13 Now, in your prepared statement you stated you
14 received only, quote, "limited information necessary to
15 inform your recusal decision". But given Director
16 Comey's statement, we need to know what that was. Were
17 you aware of any concerns at the FBI or elsewhere in
18 government about your contacts with the Russians or any
19 other matters relevant to whether you should step aside
20 from the Russian investigation?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senator Wyden, I
22 am not stonewalling. I am following the historic
PLANET DEPOS
1 policies of the Department of Justice. You don't walk

2 into any hearing or committee meeting and reveal
3 confidential communications with the President of the
4 United States who's entitled to receive confidential
5 communications in your best judgment about a host of
6 issues and have to be accused of stonewalling for not
7 answering them. So I would push back on that.
8 Secondly, Mr. Comey, perhaps he didn't know,
9 but I basically recused myself the first day I got into
10 the office because I never accessed files, I never
11 learned the names of investigators, I never met with
12 them, I never asked for any documentation. The
13 documentation, what little I received, was mostly
14 already in the media and was presented by the senior
15 ethics professional responsible attorney in the
16 Department.
17 SENATOR WYDEN: General --
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: And I made an
19 honest and proper decision to recuse myself, as I told
20 Senator Feinstein and the members of the Committee I
21 would do when they confirmed me.
22 SENATOR WYDEN: General Sessions,
PLANET DEPOS
1 respectfully, you're not answering the --

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, what is the
3 question?
4 SENATOR WYDEN: The question is Mr. Comey said
5 that there were matters with respect to the recusal
6 that were problematic and he couldn't talk about them.
7 What are they?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Why don't you tell
9 me? There are none, Senator Wyden. There are none. I
10 can tell you that for absolute certainty.
11 SENATOR WYDEN: We can --
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: This is a secret
13 innuendo being leaked out there about me and I don't
14 appreciate it and I've tried to give my best and
15 truthful answers to any committee I've appeared before
16 and it's really -- people are suggesting through
17 innuendo that I have been not honest about matters and
18 I have tried to be honest.
19 SENATOR WYDEN: My time is short. You've made
20 your point that you think Mr. Comey is engaging in
21 innuendo. We're going to keep digging in this.
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, Senator
PLANET DEPOS
1 Wyden, he did not say that.

2 SENATOR WYDEN: He said it was problematic and
3 I asked you what was problematic about it.
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Some of that
5 leaked out of the committee that he said in closed
6 sessions.
7 SENATOR WYDEN: Okay. One more question. I
8 asked former FBI director whether your role in firing
9 him violated your recusal given that President Trump
10 said he fired Comey because of the Russian
11 investigation. Director Comey said this was a
12 reasonable question. So I want to ask you just point
13 blank, why did you sign the letter recommending the
14 firing of Director Comey when it violated your recusal?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: It did not violate
16 my recusal. It did not violate my recusal. That would
17 be the answer to that and the letter that I signed
18 represented my views that it had been formulated for
19 some time.
20 SENATOR WYDEN: Mr. Chairman, just if I can
21 finish.
22 That answer in my view doesn't pass the smell
PLANET DEPOS
1 test. The President tweeted repeatedly about his anger

2 in investigations into his associates and Russia. The
3 day before you wrote your letter he tweeted that the
4 collusion story was a total hoax and asked when will
5 this taxpayer-funded charade end? I don't believe your
6 answer passes the smell test.
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, Senator
8 Wyden, I think I should be allowed to briefly respond
9 at least and would say the letter -- the memorandum
10 that Deputy Rosenstein wrote and my letter that
11 accompanied it represented my views of the situation.
12 SENATOR WYDEN: I'll answer that on the second
13 round. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
14 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Collins.
15 SENATOR COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
16 Attorney General Sessions, I want to clarify
17 who did what with regard to the firing of Mr. Comey.
18 First of all, let me ask you, when did you have your
19 first conversation with Rod Rosenstein about Mr. Comey?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: We talked about it
21 before either one of were confirmed. It was a topic
22 of, you know, conversation among people who had served
PLANET DEPOS
1 in the Department a long time. They knew that what had

2 happened that fall was pretty dramatically unusual.
3 Many people felt it was very wrong. And so it was in
4 that context that we discussed it and we both found
5 that we shared a common view that a fresh start would
6 be appropriate.
7 SENATOR COLLINS: And this was based on
8 Mr. Comey's handling of the investigation involving
9 Hillary Clinton and what you said that he usurped the
10 authority of prosecutors at the Department of Justice?
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yes, that was part
12 of it and the commenting on the investigation in ways
13 that go beyond the proper policies. We need to
14 restore, Senator Collins, I think the classic
15 discipline in the Department. My team, we've discussed
16 this. There's been too much leaking and too much
17 talking publicly about investigations. In the long
18 run, the Department historic rule that you remain mum
19 about ongoing investigations is the better policy.
20 SENATOR COLLINS: Now, subsequently, the
21 President asked for you to put your views in writing,
22 you've testified today. And I believe that you were
PLANET DEPOS
1 right to recuse yourself from the ongoing Russian

2 investigation. But then on May 9th you wrote to the
3 President recommending that Mr. Comey be dismissed and
4 obviously this went back many months to the earlier
5 conversations you had had with Mr. Rosenstein.
6 But my question is, why do you believe that
7 your recommendation to fire Director Comey was not
8 inconsistent with your March 2nd recusal?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Thank you. The
10 recusal involved one case involved in the Department of
11 Justice and in the FBI. They conduct thousands of
12 investigations. I'm the Attorney General of the United
13 States. It's my responsibility to our Judiciary
14 Committee and other committees to ensure that that
15 department is run properly.
16 I have to make difficult decisions and I do
17 not believe that it is a sound position to say that if
18 you're recused for a single case involving any one of
19 the great agencies like DEA or U.S. Marshals or ATF,
20 they're a part of the Department of Justice, you can't
21 make a decision about the leadership in that agency.
22 SENATOR COLLINS: Now, if you had known that
PLANET DEPOS
1 the President subsequently was going to go on T.V. and

2 in an interview with Lester Holt of NBC would say that
3 this Russian thing was the reason for his decision to
4 dismiss the FBI director, would you have felt
5 uncomfortable about the timing of the decision?
6 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I would just
7 say this, Senator Collins, I don't think it's
8 appropriate to deal with those kinds of hypotheticals.
9 I have to deal in actual issues and I would
10 respectfully not comment on that.
11 SENATOR COLLINS: Well, let me ask you this,
12 in retrospect, do you believe that it would have been
13 better for you to have stayed out of the decision to
14 fire Director Comey?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I think it's my
16 responsibility. I mean, I was appointed to be attorney
17 general. Supervising all the federal agencies is my
18 responsibility. Trying to get the very best people in
19 those agencies, at the top of them, is my
20 responsibility and I think I had a duty to do so.
21 SENATOR COLLINS: Now, Director Comey
22 testified that he was not comfortable telling you about
PLANET DEPOS
1 his one-on-one conversation with the President on

2 February 14th because he believed that you would
3 shortly recuse yourself from the Russian investigation,
4 which you did. Yet Director Comey testified that he
5 told no one else at the Department outside of the
6 senior leadership team at the FBI.
7 Do you believe that the Director [skip in
8 audio] the information about President saying that he
9 hoped he could let Michael Flynn go to someone else at
10 the Department of Justice? There are an awful lot of
11 lawyers at the Department of Justice, some ten thousand
12 by last count.
13 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I think the
14 appropriate thing would have been for Director Comey to
15 talk with the acting deputy attorney general who is his
16 direct [skip in audio] who had 33 years in the
17 Department of Justice and was even then still serving
18 for six years and continues to serve as attorney
19 general appointed by President Obama.
20 So he's a man of great integrity and everybody
21 knows it, a man of decency and judgment. If he had
22 concerns, I think he should have raised it to Deputy
PLANET DEPOS
1 Attorney General Boente who would be the appropriate

2 person in any case really. But if he had any concern
3 that I might be recusing myself, that would be a double
4 reason for him to share it with Deputy Attorney General
5 Boente.
6 SENATOR COLLINS: Thank you.
7 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Heinrich.
8 SENATOR HEINRICH: Attorney General Sessions,
9 has the President ever expressed his frustration to you
10 regarding your decision to recuse yourself?
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senator Heinrich,
12 I'm not able to share with this committee private
13 communications I've had --
14 SENATOR HEINRICH: Because you're invoking
15 executive privilege.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I'm not able to
17 invoke executive privilege. That's the President's
18 prerogative.
19 SENATOR HEINRICH: Well, my understanding is
20 that you took an oath, you raised your right hand here
21 today and you said that you would solemnly swear to
22 tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
PLANET DEPOS
1 truth and now you're not answering questions. You're

2 impeding this investigation.
3 So my understanding of the legal standard is
4 that you either answer the question, that's the best
5 outcome. You say this is classified, can't answer it
6 here. I'll answer it in closed session. That's bucket
7 number two. Bucket number three is to say I'm invoking
8 executive privilege.
9 There is no appropriateness bucket. It is not
10 a legal standard. Can you tell me what are these
11 longstanding DOJ rules that protect conversations made
12 in the executive without invoking executive privilege?
13 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senator, I'm
14 protecting the President's constitutional right by not
15 giving it away before he has a chance to --
16 SENATOR HEINRICH: You're having it both ways.
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- view it and,
18 secondly, I am telling the truth in answering your
19 question in saying it's a longstanding policy of the
20 Department of Justice --
21 SENATOR HEINRICH: Are those policies written?
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- (inaudible) to
PLANET DEPOS
1 make sure the President has full opportunity to decide

2 these issues.
3 SENATOR HEINRICH: Can you share those
4 policies with us?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well --
6 SENATOR HEINRICH: Are they written down at
7 the Department of Justice?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I believe they
9 are. Certainly --
10 SENATOR HEINRICH: This is the appropriateness
11 legal standard for not answering congressional
12 inquiries?
13 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: It's my judgment
14 that it would be inappropriate for me to answer and
15 reveal private conversations with the President when he
16 has not had a full opportunity to review the questions
17 and to make a decision on whether or not to approve
18 such an answer, one. There are also other privileges
19 that could be invoked. One of the things deal with the
20 investigation of the special counsel as other --
21 SENATOR HEINRICH: And we're not asking
22 questions about that investigation. If I wanted to ask
PLANET DEPOS
1 questions about that investigation, I would ask those

2 of Rod Rosenstein. I'm asking about your personal
3 knowledge from this committee which has a
4 constitutional obligation to get to the bottom of this.
5 There are two investigations here. There is a
6 special counsel investigation. There is also a
7 congressional investigation and you are obstructing
8 that congressional investigation by not answering these
9 questions and I think your silence, like the silence of
10 Director Coats, like the silence of Admiral Rogers,
11 speaks volumes.
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I would say that I
13 have consulted with senior career attorneys in the
14 Department --
15 SENATOR HEINRICH: I suspect you have.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- and they
17 believe this is consistent with my duties.
18 SENATOR HEINRICH: Senator Risch asked you a
19 question about appropriateness. If you had known that
20 there had been anything untoward with regard to Russia
21 and the campaign, would you have headed for the exits?
22 Your response was maybe. Why wasn't that a simple yes?
PLANET DEPOS
1 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, if there was

2 an improper, illegal relationship in an effort to
3 impede or influence this campaign, I absolutely would
4 have departed.
5 SENATOR HEINRICH: I think that's a good
6 answer. I'm not sure why it wasn't the answer in the
7 first place. I find it strange --
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I thought I did
9 answer it.
10 SENATOR HEINRICH: -- that neither you nor
11 Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein brought up
12 performance issues with Director Comey. And in fact,
13 Deputy FBI Director McCabe has directly refuted any
14 assertion that there were performance issues. This is
15 troubling because it appears that the President decided
16 to fire Director Comey because he was pursuing the
17 Russia investigation and had asked you to [skip in
18 audio] assessment of Director Comey didn't hold up to
19 public scrutiny, the President finally admitted that he
20 had fired Director Comey because he was pursuing the
21 Russia investigation, i.e. the Lester Holt interview.
22 You've claimed that you did not break recusal
PLANET DEPOS
1 when participating in Director Comey's firing, but it

2 appears that his firing was directly related to Russia,
3 not departmental mismanagement. How do you square
4 those two things?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, you had a
6 lot in that question. Let me say first, within a week
7 or so, I believe May 3rd, Director Comey testified that
8 he believed the handling of the Clinton declination was
9 proper and appropriate and he would do it again.
10 I know that was a great concern to both of us
11 because it did not -- that represented something that I
12 think most professionals in the Department of Justice
13 would totally agree that the FBI investigative agency
14 does not decide whether to prosecute or decline
15 criminal cases. Pretty breathtaking usurpation of the
16 responsibility of the attorney general.
17 So that's how we felt. That was sort of
18 additional concern that we had heading the FBI someone
19 who boldly asserted the right to continue to make such
20 decisions. That was one of the things we discussed.
21 That was in the memorandum, I believe, and it was also
22 an important factor for us.
PLANET DEPOS
1 CHAIRMAN BURR: Before I recognize Senator

2 Blunt, I would like the record to show that last night
3 Admiral Rogers spent almost two hours in closed session
4 with almost the full committee fulfilling his
5 commitment to us in the hearing that in closed session
6 he would answer the question and I think it was
7 thoroughly answered all members were given an
8 opportunity to ask questions. I just want the record
9 to show that with what Senator Heinrich stated.
10 Senator Blunt.
11 SENATOR BLUNT: Thank you, Chairman.
12 Attorney General, it's good to see you here.
13 It's good to see Mary. I know that there are probably
14 other places you'd both rather be today but you have
15 always looked at public service as something you did
16 together and it's good to see you here together and
17 know that your family continues to be proud and
18 supportive of what you do.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Thank you. I've
20 been blessed indeed.
21 SENATOR BLUNT: I agree with that. I agree
22 with that. Let me just get a couple of things clear in
PLANET DEPOS
1 my mind here of notes I've taken while people were

2 asking questions and you were talking.
3 On the April 27th, 2016 event, I think that's
4 the Mayflower Hotel speech that the President -- that
5 the presidential candidate gave on foreign policy. You
6 didn't have a room at that event where you had private
7 meetings, did you?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, I did not.
9 SENATOR BLUNT: And as I understand it, you
10 went to a reception that was attended by how many
11 people?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I think two to
13 three dozen.
14 SENATOR BLUNT: Two to three dozen people.
15 You went in, heard a speech and then may have seen
16 people on your way out?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Correct.
18 SENATOR BLUNT: So when you said you possibly
19 had a meeting with Mr. Kislyak, did you mean you
20 possibly met him?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I didn't have any
22 formal meeting with him.
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR BLUNT: Because I would assume --

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I'm confident of
3 that. But I may have had an encounter during the
4 reception. That's the only thing I cannot say with
5 certainty I did not. That's all I can say.
6 SENATOR BLUNT: Well, that's what I thought
7 you were saying but sometimes when I hear "meeting",
8 that would mean more to me than I met somebody.
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Right.
10 SENATOR BLUNT: You might have met him at the
11 reception. Could you have met other ambassadors at
12 that reception as well?
13 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I could. I
14 remember one in particular that we had a conversation
15 with whose country had an investment in Alabama and we
16 talked in a little length about that. I remember that.
17 But otherwise, I have no recollection of a discussion
18 with the Russian ambassador.
19 SENATOR BLUNT: All right. So you were there.
20 You've read since he was there. You may have seen him.
21 But you had no room where you were having meetings with
22 individuals to have discussions at the Mayflower Hotel
PLANET DEPOS
1 that day?
2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, that is
3 correct.
4 SENATOR BLUNT: Well, whenever you talked to
5 Mr. Comey after he had had his meeting with the
6 President. You think that was probably the next day?
7 You didn't stay afterwards and see him after he left
8 the Oval Office that night?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No. I understand
10 his testimony may have suggested that it happened right
11 afterwards but it was either the next morning, which I
12 think it was, or maybe the morning after that is we had
13 a national security briefing with the FBI that I
14 undertake and so it was after that that we had that
15 conversation.
16 SENATOR BLUNT: When you had that
17 conversation. Now, what I'm not quite clear on is did
18 you respond when he expressed his concern or not?
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yes, I did
20 respond. I think he's incorrect. He indicated, I
21 believe, that he was not totally sure of the exact
22 wording of the meeting, but I do recall my chief of
PLANET DEPOS
1 staff was with me and we recall that I did affirm the

2 longstanding written policies of the Department of
3 Justice concerning communications with the White House.
4 We have to follow those rules and in the long run
5 you're much better off if you do.
6 They do not prohibit communications, one-on-
7 one by the FBI director with the President, but if that
8 conversation moves into certain areas, it's the duty --
9 the rules apply to the Department of Justice. So it's
10 the duty of the FBI agent to say, Mr. President, I
11 can't talk about that. That's the way that should work
12 and apparently it did because he says he did not
13 improperly discuss matters with the President.
14 SENATOR BLUNT: When Mr. Comey talked to you
15 about that meeting, did he mention Mr. Flynn?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, he mentioned
17 no facts of any kind. He did not mention to me that he
18 had been asked to do something he thought was improper.
19 He just said he was uncomfortable, I believe, with it.
20 SENATOR BLUNT: After that discussion with Mr.
21 Comey --
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Actually, I don't
PLANET DEPOS
1 know that he said he was uncomfortable. I think he

2 said maybe -- maybe it was what he testified to was
3 perhaps the correct wording. I'm not sure exactly what
4 he said, but I don't dispute it.
5 SENATOR BLUNT: Well, exactly what I think he
6 -- what I remember him saying was that you didn't react
7 at all and kind of shrugged. But you're saying you
8 referred him to the normal way these meetings are
9 supposed to be conducted.
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I took it as a
11 concern that he might be asked something that was
12 improper and affirmed to him his willingness to say no
13 or not go in an improper way -- improper direction.
14 SENATOR BLUNT: I would just say finally, I'm
15 assuming you wouldn't talk about this because it would
16 relate to the May 8th meeting, but my sense is that no
17 decision is final until it's carried out. My guess is
18 that there are people at this (inaudible) who have said
19 they were going to let somebody go or fire somebody
20 that never did that. So the fact that the President
21 said that on May 8th doesn't mean that the information
22 that he got from you on May 9th was not necessary or
PLANET DEPOS
1 impactful and I'm sure you're not going to say how many
2 times the President said we ought to get rid of that
3 person, but I'm sure that's happened.
4 And Chairman, I'll --
5 CHAIRMAN BURR: Thank you. Senator King.
6 SENATOR KING: Mr. Attorney General, thank you
7 for joining us today. I respect your --
9 SENATOR KING: -- willingness to be here.
11 SENATOR KING: You testified a few minutes
12 ago, "I'm not able to invoke executive privilege.
13 That's up to the President." Has the President invoked
14 executive privilege in the case of your testimony here
15 today?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: He has not.
17 SENATOR KING: Then what is the basis of your
18 refusal to answer these questions?
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senator King, the
20 President has a constitution --
21 SENATOR KING: I understand that, but the
22 President hasn't asserted it.
PLANET DEPOS
1 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I --

2 SENATOR KING: You said you said you don't
3 have the power to assert the power of executive
4 privilege so what is the legal basis for your refusal
5 to answer these questions?
6 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I am protecting
7 the right of the president to assert it if he chooses
8 and there may be other privileges that could apply in
9 this circumstance.
10 SENATOR KING: Well, I don't understand how
11 you can have it both ways. The President can't not
12 assert it and you've testified that only the President
13 can assert it and yet I just don't understand the legal
14 basis for your refusal to answer.
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: What we try to do,
16 I think most cabinet officials, others that you've
17 questioned recently, officials before the Committee,
18 protect the President's right to do so. If it comes to
19 a point where the issue is clear and there's a dispute
20 about it, at some point the President will either
21 assert the privilege or not or some other privilege
22 would be asserted. But at this point I believe it's
PLANET DEPOS
1 premature for me to deny --

2 SENATOR KING: You're asserting the privilege
3 of the President, you've testified.
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: It would be
5 premature for me to deny the President a full and
6 intelligent choice about executive privilege. That's
7 not necessary at this point.
8 SENATOR KING: You testified a few minutes ago
9 that, quote, "We were asked for [skip in audio] -- you
10 testified, "We were asked for our opinion."
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: My understanding
12 is -- I believe I'm correct in saying the President has
13 said so that --
14 SENATOR KING: So he didn't ask you directly?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I thought you were
16 asking about the privilege, sir.
17 SENATOR KING: No, no, I'm sorry.
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: You want to go
19 back to the --
20 SENATOR KING: I'm saying you said, quote, "We
21 were asked for opinion", you and Mr. Rosenstein.
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I believe that was
PLANET DEPOS
1 appropriate for me to say that because I think the

2 President --
3 SENATOR KING: No, I'm just asking you --
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I'm just saying
5 why --
6 SENATOR KING: -- who asked you for your
7 opinion.
9 SENATOR KING: Who asked you for your opinion?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Right, the
11 President asked for our opinion.
12 SENATOR KING: All right. So you just
13 testified as to the content of the communications with
14 the President.
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That is correct,
16 but I believe he's already revealed that. I believe
17 I'm correct in saying that. That's why I indicated
18 that when I answered that question. But if he hasn't
19 and I'm in error --
20 SENATOR KING: So you can --
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- I would have
22 constricted his constitutional right of privilege.
PLANET DEPOS
1 You're correct.
2 SENATOR KING: So you're being selective about
3 the (inaudible).
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, I'm not
5 intentionally. I'm doing so only because I believe he
6 made that (inaudible).
7 SENATOR KING: In any of your discussions with
8 the President about the firing of James Comey, did the
9 question of the Russian investigation ever come up?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I cannot answer
11 that because it was a communication by the President
12 or, if any such occurred, it would be a communication
13 that he has not waived.
14 SENATOR KING: But he has not asserted
15 executive privilege?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: He has not
17 asserted executive privilege today.
18 SENATOR KING: Do you believe the Russians
19 interfered with the 2016 elections?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: It appears so.
21 The Intelligence Community seems to be united in that,
22 but I have to tell you, Senator King, I know nothing
PLANET DEPOS
1 but what I've read in the paper. I've never received

2 any detailed briefing on how hacking occurred or how
3 information was alleged to have influenced the
4 campaign.
5 SENATOR KING: Well, between the election --
6 there was a memorandum from the Intelligence Committee
7 on October 9th that detailed what the Russians were
8 doing after the election, before the inauguration. You
9 never sought any information about this rather dramatic
10 attack on our country?
12 SENATOR KING: You never asked for a briefing
13 or attended a briefing or --
15 SENATOR KING: -- read the intelligence
16 reports?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: You might have
18 been very critical of me if I, as an active part of the
19 campaign, was seeking intelligence relating to
20 something that might be relevant to the campaign. I'm
21 not sure that --
22 SENATOR KING: I'm not talking about the
PLANET DEPOS
1 campaign. I'm talking about what the Russians did.

2 You received no briefing on the Russian active measures
3 in connection with the 2016 election?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, I don't
5 believe I ever did.
6 SENATOR KING: Let's go to your letter of May
7 9th. You said based upon my evaluation and for the
8 reasons expressed by the Deputy, was that a written
9 evaluation?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: My evaluation was
11 an evaluation that had been going on for some months.
12 SENATOR KING: Was it a written evaluation?
13 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did not make
14 one. I think you could classify Deputy Attorney
15 General Rosenstein's memorandum as an evaluation, one
16 that -- and he was the direct supervisor of the FBI
17 director.
18 SENATOR KING: And his evaluation was based
19 100 percent on the handling of the Hillary Clinton
20 emails; is that correct?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, and a number
22 of other matters as I recall, but he did explicitly lay
PLANET DEPOS
1 out the errors that he thought had been made in that

2 process by the director of the FBI. I thought they
3 were cogent and accurate and far more significant than
4 I think a lot of people have understood.
5 SENATOR KING: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
6 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Lankford.
7 SENATOR LANKFORD: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
8 Attorney General Sessions, it's good to see
9 you again.
11 SENATOR LANKFORD: You speak as a man eager to
12 set the record straight and you have spoken very
13 plainly from the very beginning, from your opening
14 statement all the way through this time.
15 I am amazed at the conversations as if an
16 attorney general has never said there were private
17 conversations with the President and we don't need to
18 discuss those. It shorts to be a short memory about
19 some of the statements Eric Holder would and would not
20 make to any committee in the House or the Senate and
21 would or would not turn over documents even requested.
22 That has to go all the way through the court system
PLANET DEPOS
1 until finally the courts having to say, no, the

2 President can't hold back documents and the attorney
3 general can't do that.
4 So somehow some accusation that you're not
5 saying every conversation about everything, there's a
6 long history of attorney generals standing beside the
7 President saying there are some conversations that are
8 confidential and can be determined from there.
9 It does seem as well that every unnamed source
10 story somehow gets a hearing. I was in the hearing
11 this morning with Rod Rosenstein as we dealt with the
12 Appropriations [skip in audio] Rod Rosenstein was
13 taking your place to be able to cover. He was very
14 clear. He was peppered with questions about Russia
15 during that conversation as well. He was very clear
16 that he has never had conversations with you about that
17 and that you have never requested conversations about
18 that.
19 He was also peppered with questions of the
20 latest rumor of the day, that is somehow the President
21 is thinking about firing Robert Mueller and getting rid
22 of him and it was very clear that Rosenstein himself
PLANET DEPOS
1 said, "I am the only one that could do that and I'm not
2 contemplating that nor would I do that and nobody has
3 no idea where the latest unnamed source story of the
4 day is coming from but somehow it's grabbing all of the
5 attention."
6 I do want to be able to bring up a couple of
7 things to you specifically. One is to define the word
8 recuse. And I come back to your email that you sent to
9 Jim Comey and others that day on March the 2nd. This
10 is what you had said in your email. "After careful
11 consideration following meetings with career department
12 officials over the course of the past several weeks,
13 the Attorney General has decided to recuse himself from
14 any existing or future investigations of any matters
15 related in any way to the campaigns for President of
16 the United States. The Attorney General's recusal is
17 not only with respect to such investigations, if any,
18 but also extends to the Department's responses to
19 congressional and media inquiries related to such
20 investigations." Is that something you have maintained
21 from March 2nd on?
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Absolutely.
PLANET DEPOS
1 Actually, I maintained it from the first day I became

2 attorney general. We discussed those matters and I
3 felt until and if I ever made a decision to not recuse
4 myself, I should not, out of an abundance of caution,
5 involve myself in studying the investigation or
6 evaluating it.
7 SENATOR LANKFORD: Right.
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: So I did not. I
9 also would note that the memorandum from my chief of
10 staff directs these agencies and one of the people
11 directly it was sent to was James D. Comey, Director of
12 the FBI. "You should instruct members of your staffs
13 not to brief the Attorney General or any other
14 officials in the Office of the Attorney General about
15 or otherwise involve the Attorney General or other
16 officials in the Office of the Attorney General in any
17 such matters described above."
18 SENATOR LANKFORD: And you haven't requested
19 it.
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: So we took the
21 proper and firm and crystal clear position that recusal
22 meant recusal.
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR LANKFORD: Relating to this April

2 27th, meeting, non-meeting, in the same room at the
3 same time, the National Interest was asked specifically
4 about this as well. He was the host of that event.
5 They stated this in writing, "As the host, the Center
6 for National Interest decided whom to invite and then
7 issued the invitations. The Trump campaign did not
8 determine or approve the invitation list. Guests at
9 the event included both Democrats and Republicans with
10 some among the latter supporting other candidates.
11 Most of the guests were Washington-based foreign policy
12 experts and journalists. The Center for National
13 Interest invited Russian Ambassador Kislyak and several
14 other ambassadors to the speech. We regularly invite
15 ambassadors and other foreign representatives to our
16 events to facilitate dialogue."
17 And they stated, "We seated all four in the
18 front row during the speech in deference to their
19 diplomatic status. The Trump campaign had nothing to
20 do with the seating arrangement. The Center for
21 National Interest extended equal treatment to the
22 foreign ambassadors attending the event and invited
PLANET DEPOS
1 each to a short reception prior to Trump's speech. The

2 reception included approximately two dozen guests in a
3 receiving line. The line moved quickly and any
4 conversations with Mr. Trump in that setting were
5 inherently brief and could not be private.
6 Our recollection is that the interaction
7 between Mr. Trump and Ambassador Kislyak was limited to
8 polite exchange of pleasantries appropriate on such
9 occasions. We're not aware of any conversation between
10 Ambassador Kislyak and Senator Jeff Sessions at the
11 reception. However, in a small group setting like this
12 one, we consider it unlikely that anyone could have
13 engaged in a meaningful private conversation without
14 drawing attention from others present." Do you have
15 any reason to disagree with that portrayal?
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, I think that's
17 a very fair description of the reception situation. I
18 appreciate them having made that statement.
19 SENATOR LANKFORD: Great. I yield back.
20 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Manchin.
21 SENATOR MANCHIN: Mr. Chairman, thank you.
22 Thank you, Mr. General for being here. It's
PLANET DEPOS
1 good to see you again.

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Thank you, Senator
3 Manchin.
4 SENATOR MANCHIN: Sir, I'm going to follow up
5 a little bit on what Senator King had asked concerning
6 -- you and I are about the same vintage. We remember
7 back in our lifetime we've never known the Russians to
8 be -- the Russian government or the Russian military to
9 ever be our friend and wanting the same things we
10 wanted out of life.
11 With that being said, the seriousness of this
12 Russian hacking is very serious to me and concerning
13 and you're saying that you had not been briefed on
14 that. October, I think it was October 9th [skip in
15 audio] at that time, I think Mr. Clapper and also
16 Mr. Jeh Johnson, Homeland Security, made that public
17 what was going on. Then on December 29th, President
18 Obama at that time expelled 35 Russian diplomats,
19 denied access to two Russian compound and he broadened
20 the existing sanctions.
21 Sir, I would ask, did you have any discussions
22 at all -- have you had any discussions or sat in on any
PLANET DEPOS
1 type of meetings where recommendations were made to

2 remove those sanctions?
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't recall any
4 such meeting.
5 SENATOR MANCHIN: And during the time not from
6 the President being inaugurated on January 20th, prior
7 to that in the campaign up until through the
8 transition, was there ever any meetings that he showed
9 any concern or consideration or just inquisitive of
10 what the Russians were really doing and if they really
11 done it?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't recall any
13 such conversation. I'm not sure I understood your
14 question. Maybe I better listen again.
15 SENATOR MANCHIN: Well, the national -- you're
16 a part of the national security team --
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yeah.
18 SENATOR MANCHIN: -- so if you would have
19 heard something about Russia and with their
20 capabilities and our concern about what they could do
21 to our election process, was there ever any
22 conversations concerning that whatsoever?
PLANET DEPOS

2 Senator Manchin.
3 SENATOR MANCHIN: I know it's been asked of
4 you the things -- you know, your executive privileges
5 and protecting the President. I understand that. But
6 also when we had Mr. Comey here, you know, he couldn't
7 answer a lot of things in open session. He agreed to
8 go into a closed session. Would you be able to go into
9 closed session? Would it change your answers to us or
10 your ability to speak more frankly on some things we
11 would want to know?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Senator Manchin,
13 I'm not sure. The executive privilege is not waived by
14 going in-camera or in closed session. It may be that
15 one of the concerns is that when you have an
16 investigation ongoing, as the special counsel does,
17 it's often very problematic to have persons, you know,
18 not cooperating with that counsel and the conduct of
19 the investigation which may or may not be a factor in
20 going into closed session.
21 SENATOR MANCHIN: It would be helpful, I
22 think. The Committee, there's a lot of questions they
PLANET DEPOS
1 would like to ask and I know that you would like to

2 answer if possible and maybe we can check into that a
3 little further.
4 If I could, sir, did you have any meetings --
5 any other meetings with Russian government officials
6 that have not been previously disclosed?
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I have racked my
8 brain and I do not believe so.
9 SENATOR MANCHIN: Are there any other --
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I can assure you
11 that none of those meetings discussed manipulating a
12 campaign in the United States in any way, shape or form
13 or any hacking or any such ideas like that.
14 SENATOR MANCHIN: I'm going to quick through
15 this. Are there any other meetings between Russian
16 government officials and any other Trump campaign
17 associates that have not been previously disclosed that
18 you know of?
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't recall
20 any.
21 SENATOR MANCHIN: To the best of your
22 knowledge, did any of the following individuals meet
PLANET DEPOS
1 with Russian officials at any point during the

2 campaign? You can just go yes or no as I go down
3 through the list. Paul Manafort?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Repeat that now.
5 Start over.
6 SENATOR MANCHIN: To the best of your
7 knowledge, sir, did any of these following individuals
8 meet with Russian officials at any point during the
9 campaign? And you can just be a yes or no on this.
10 Paul Manafort?
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't have any
12 information that he had done so. He served as campaign
13 chairman for a few months.
14 SENATOR MANCHIN: Steve Bannon?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I have no
16 information that he did.
17 SENATOR MANCHIN: General Michael Flynn?
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't recall it.
19 SENATOR MANCHIN: Reince Priebus?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't recall.
21 SENATOR MANCHIN: Steve Miller.
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't recall him
PLANET DEPOS
1 ever having such a conversation.

2 SENATOR MANCHIN: Corey Lewandowski.
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I do not recall
4 any of those individuals having any meeting with
5 Russian officials.
6 SENATOR MANCHIN: Carter Page?
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't know.
8 SENATOR MANCHIN: And I would finally ask this
9 question because I always think we -- we try to get --
10 you have innate knowledge different from any --
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: There was -- there
12 may have been some published accounts of Mr. Page
13 talking with Russians. I'm not sure.
14 SENATOR MANCHIN: Okay.
16 SENATOR MANCHIN: As a former senator, you
17 bring a unique holistic perspective on this
18 investigation because you've been on both sides.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I have indeed.
20 SENATOR MANCHIN: If you were --
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: All in all, it's
22 better on that side.
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR MANCHIN: If you were sitting on this

2 side of the dice, okay --
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Nobody gets to ask
4 you about your conversations with your staff.
5 SENATOR MANCHIN: Where here we go. It's your
6 chance to give us some advice. If you were sitting on
7 this side of the (inaudible), what question would you
8 be asking?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I would be asking
10 whether or not -- I would be asking questions related
11 to whether or not there was an impact on this election
12 --
13 SENATOR MANCHIN: And what part of the story
14 do you think we missed?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- by a foreign
16 power, particularly the Russians, since the
17 Intelligence Community has suggested and stated that
18 they believe they did. But I do think members of this
19 government [skip in audio] and, you know, the questions
20 should be focused on that.
21 SENATOR MANCHIN: Is there a part of the story
22 we're missing?
PLANET DEPOS
1 I'm so sorry, Mr. Chairman.

2 Is there a part of the story we're missing?
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't know
4 because I'm not involved in the campaign and had no
5 information concerning it and I have no idea at what
6 stage it is. You members of this committee know a lot
7 more than I.
8 SENATOR MANCHIN: Thank you, General Sessions.
9 CHAIRMAN BURR: And General Sessions, I will
10 assure you we are very much focused on Russia's
11 involvement and --
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: It doesn't seem
13 like it.
14 CHAIRMAN BURR: -- our hope is that as we
15 complete this process we will lay those facts out for
16 the American people so they can make their own
17 determinations as well. We're grateful for what you've
18 done.
19 Senator Cotton.
20 SENATOR COTTON: Well, I am on this side of
21 the (inaudible) so I can say a very simple question
22 that should be asked. I am on this side of the
PLANET DEPOS
1 (inaudible) so a very simple question that should be

2 asked is did Donald Trump or any of his associates in
3 the campaign collude with Russia in hacking those
4 emails and releasing them to the public. That's where
5 we started six months ago.
6 We have now heard from six of the eight
7 Democrats on this committee and, to my knowledge, I
8 don't think a single one of them asked that question.
9 They've gone down lots of other rabbit trails, but not
10 that question.
11 Maybe that is because as Jim Comey said last
12 week, as he said to Donald Trump, that on three times
13 he assured him he was not under investigation. Maybe
14 it's because multiple Democrats on this committee have
15 stated they have seen no evidence thus far after six
16 months of our investigation and ten -- or 11 months of
17 an FBI investigation of any such collusion.
18 I would such suggest, what do we think
19 happened at the Mayflower? Mr. Sessions, are you
20 familiar with what spies call trade craft?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: A little bit.
22 SENATOR COTTON: That involves things like
PLANET DEPOS
1 covert communications and dead drops and brush passes,

2 right?
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: That is part of
4 it.
5 SENATOR COTTON: Do you like spy fiction, John
6 le Carre, Daniel Silva, Jason Matthews?
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yeah, Alan Furst.
8 David Ignatius.
9 SENATOR COTTON: Jason Bourne?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: (inaudible).
11 SENATOR COTTON: Do you like Jason Bourne or
12 James Bond movies?
14 SENATOR COTTON: Yes. I do. Have you ever in
15 any of these fantastical situations heard of a plotline
16 so ridiculous that a sitting United States Senator and
17 an ambassador of a foreign government colluded at an
18 open setting with hundreds of other people to pull off
19 the greatest caper in the history of espionage?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Thank you for
21 saying that, Senator Cotton. It's just like through
22 the looking glass. I mean, what is this? I explained
PLANET DEPOS
1 how in good faith I said I had not met with Russians

2 because they were suggesting I, as a surrogate, had
3 been meeting continuously with Russians. I said I
4 didn't meet with them.
5 And now, the next thing you know, I'm accused
6 of some reception, plotting some sort of influence
7 campaign for the American election. It's just beyond
8 my capability to understand and I really appreciate,
9 Mr. Chairman, the opportunity at least to be able to
10 say publicly I didn't participate in that and know
11 nothing about it.
12 SENATOR COTTON: And I gather that's one
13 reason why you wanted to testify today in public. Last
14 week Mr. Comey in characteristic, dramatic and
15 theatrical fashion alluded ominously to what you call
16 innuendo. That there was some kind of classified
17 intelligence that suggested you might have colluded
18 with Russia or that you might have otherwise acted
19 improperly. You've addressed those allegations here
20 today. Do you understand why he made that illusion?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Actually, I do
22 not. And nobody has provided me any information about
PLANET DEPOS
1 that.
2 SENATOR COTTON: Thank you. My time is
3 limited and I have a lot of questions. Mr. Blunt asked
4 you if you had spoken in response to Mr. Comey's
5 statement to you after his private meeting with the
6 President on February 14th or February 15th. You said
7 that you did respond to Mr. Comey. Mr. Comey's
8 testimony said that you did not. Do you know why Mr.
9 Comey would have said that you did not respond to him
10 in that conversation with you on February 14th or 15th?
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I do not. There
12 was a little conversation, not very long, but there was
13 a conversation and I did respond to him. Perhaps not
14 to everything he asked but he -- I did respond to him,
15 I think, in an appropriate way.
16 SENATOR COTTON: Do you know why Mr. Comey
17 mistrusted President Trump from their first meeting on
18 January 6th? He stated last week that he did but
19 didn't state anything from that meeting that caused him
20 to have such mistrust (inaudible).
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I'm not able to
22 speculate on that.
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR COTTON: Let's turn to the potential

2 crimes that we know have happened, leaks of certain
3 information. Here's a short list of what I have. The
4 contents of alleged transcripts of alleged
5 conversations between Mr. Flynn and Mr. Kislyak, phone
6 calls of Australian and Mexican leaders, the content of
7 Mr. Trump's meetings with the Russian Foreign Minister
8 and Ambassador, the leak of the Manchester bombing
9 suspect's identity and crime scene photos. And last
10 week, within 20 minutes of this committee meeting in a
11 classified setting with Jim Comey, the leak of what the
12 basis of Mr. Comey's innuendo was. Are these leaks
13 serious threats to our national security and is the
14 Department of Justice taking them with the appropriate
15 degree of seriousness in investigating and ultimately
16 going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the
17 law?
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Thank you, Senator
19 Cotton. We have had one successful case very recently
20 in Georgia. That person has been denied bail, I
21 believe, and is being held in custody. But some of
22 these leaks, as you well know, are extraordinarily
PLANET DEPOS
1 damaging to the United States security and we have got

2 to restore a regular order principle. We cannot have
3 persons in our intelligence agencies, our investigative
4 agencies or in Congress leaking sensitive matters on
5 staff. So this is -- I'm afraid will result and is
6 already resulting in investigations and I fear that
7 some people may find that they wish they hadn't leaked.
8 SENATOR COTTON: Thank you. My time has
9 expired, but for the record, it was stated earlier that
10 the Republican's platform was weakened on the point of
11 arms for Ukraine. That is incorrect. The platform was
12 actually strengthened. And I would note that it was
13 the Democratic president who refused repeated
14 bipartisan requests of this Congress to supply those
15 arms to Ukraine.
16 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Harris.
17 SENATOR HARRIS: Attorney General Sessions,
18 you have several times this afternoon prefaced your
19 responses by saying to the best of your recollection.
20 Just on the first page of your three pages of written
21 testimony you wrote "nor do I recall, do not have
22 recollection, do not remember it". So my question is
PLANET DEPOS
1 for any of your testimony today, did you refresh your

2 memory with any written documents be they your calendar
3 or written correspondence, emails, notes of any sort?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I attempted to
5 refresh my recollection but so much of this is in a
6 wholesale campaign of extraordinary nature that you're
7 moving so fast that you don't keep notes. You meet
8 people. I didn't keep notes of my conversation with
9 the Russian ambassador at the Republican Convention.
10 SENATOR HARRIS: Sir, I would like you to just
11 talk about what you did in your notes.
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, I'm just
13 saying I didn't keep notes on most of these things and
14 there's nothing for me --
15 SENATOR HARRIS: Will you provide this
16 committee with the notes that you did maintain?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: As appropriate, I
18 will supply the Committee with documents.
19 SENATOR HARRIS: Can you please tell me what
20 you mean when you say appropriate?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I would have to
22 consult with lawyers in the Department who know the
PLANET DEPOS
1 proper procedure before disclosing documents that are

2 held within the Department of Justice and I'm not able
3 to make that opinion today.
4 SENATOR HARRIS: Sir, I'm sure you prepared
5 for this hearing today and most of the questions that
6 have been presented to you were predictable. So my
7 question to you is did you then review with the lawyers
8 of your department, if you as the top lawyer are
9 unaware, what the law is regarding what you can share
10 with us and what you cannot share with us, what is
11 privileged and what is not privileged?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: We discussed the
13 basic parameters of testimony. I, frankly, have not
14 discussed documentary disclosure rules.
15 SENATOR HARRIS: Will you make a commitment to
16 this committee that you will share any written
17 correspondence be they your calendars, records, notes,
18 emails or anything that has been reduced at any point
19 in time in writing --
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I will --
21 SENATOR HARRIS: -- up to this committee where
22 legally you actually have an obligation to do so?
PLANET DEPOS
1 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I will commit to

2 reviewing the rules of the Department and when that
3 issue is raised to respond appropriately.
4 SENATOR HARRIS: Did you have any
5 communications with Russian officials for any reason
6 during the campaign that have not been disclosed in
7 public or to this committee?
9 but I have to tell you, I cannot testify to what was
10 said as we were standing at the Republican Convention
11 before the podium where I spoke.
12 SENATOR HARRIS: My question was only as it
13 relates to your knowledge.
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't have a
15 detailed memory of that.
16 SENATOR HARRIS: Okay. As it relates to your
17 knowledge.
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: To the best of my
19 --
20 SENATOR HARRIS: Did you have any
21 communication with any Russian businessmen or any
22 Russian nationals?
PLANET DEPOS
1 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't believe I

2 had any conversation with Russian businessmen or
3 Russian nationals --
4 SENATOR HARRIS: Are you aware of any
5 communications --
6 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- although a lot
7 of people were at the convention. It's conceivable
8 that somebody came up and --
9 SENATOR HARRIS: Sir, I have just a few --
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, you let me
11 qualify it.
12 SENATOR HARRIS: Okay.
13 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: If I don't qualify
14 it, you'll accuse me of lying. So I need to be correct
15 as best I can --
16 SENATOR HARRIS: I do want you to be honest.
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- and I'm not
18 able to be rushed this fast. It makes me nervous.
19 SENATOR HARRIS: [Skip in audio] with other
20 Trump campaign officials and associates that they had
21 with Russian officials or any Russian nationals?
PLANET DEPOS
1 that --
2 SENATOR HARRIS: And are you aware --
3 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- at this moment.
4 SENATOR HARRIS: Are you aware of any
5 communications with any Trump officials or did you have
6 any communications with any officials about Russia or
7 Russian interests in the United States before January
8 20th?
9 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: No, I may have had
10 some conversations and I think I did with the general
11 strategic concept of the possibility of whether or not
12 Russia and the United States could get on a more
13 harmonious relationship and move off the hostility.
14 The Soviet Union did in fact collapse.
15 SENATOR HARRIS: Thank you.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: It's really a
17 tragic strategic event that we're not able to get along
18 better than we are today.
19 SENATOR HARRIS: Before being sworn in as
20 attorney general, how did you typically communicate
21 with then Candidate or President-elect Trump?
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Would you repeat
PLANET DEPOS
1 that?
2 SENATOR HARRIS: Before you were sworn in as
3 attorney general, how did you typically communicate
4 with then Candidate or President-elect Trump?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did not --
6 SENATOR HARRIS: Did you communicate in
7 writing?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- a memorandum.
9 I did not make formal presentations.
10 SENATOR HARRIS: Did you ever communicate with
11 him in writing?
12 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't believe
13 so.
14 SENATOR HARRIS: And you referred to a
15 longstanding DOJ policy. Can you tell us what policy
16 it is you're talking about?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I think most
18 cabinet people, as the witnesses you had before you
19 earlier, those individuals declined to comment because
20 we're all about conversations with the President --
21 SENATOR HARRIS: Sir, I'm just asking you
22 about the DOJ policy you referred to.
PLANET DEPOS
1 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- because that's

2 a longstanding policy that goes beyond just the
3 attorney general.
4 SENATOR HARRIS: Is that policy in writing
5 somewhere?
6 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I think so.
7 SENATOR HARRIS: So did you not consult it
8 before you came before this committee knowing we would
9 ask you questions about that?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, we talked
11 about it. The policy is based --
12 SENATOR HARRIS: Did you ask that it would be
13 shown to you?
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: The policy is
15 based on the principle that the President --
16 SENATOR HARRIS: Sir, I'm not asking about the
17 principle. I'm asking when you knew you would be asked
18 --
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Then I'm unable to
20 answer the question.
21 SENATOR HARRIS: -- these questions and you
22 would rely on that policy, did you not ask your staff
PLANET DEPOS
1 to show you the policy that would be the basis for you
2 refusing to answer the majority of questions that have
3 been asked of you.
4 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. Chairman, the
5 witness should be allowed to answer the question.
6 CHAIRMAN BURR: The Senators will allow the
7 Chair to control the hearing.
8 Senator Harris, let him answer.
9 SENATOR HARRIS: Please, sir. Thank you.
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: We talked about it
11 and we talked about the real principle that's at stake
12 is one that I have some appreciation for as having
13 spent 15 years in the Department of Justice, 12 as
14 United States Attorney and that principle is that the
15 Constitution provides the head of the executive branch
16 certain privileges and that members -- one of them is
17 confidentiality of communications. And it is improper
18 for agents of any departments in the executive branch
19 to waive that privilege without a clear approval of the
20 President.
21 SENATOR HARRIS: Mr. Chairman, I have asked --
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: And that's the
PLANET DEPOS
1 situation we're in.

2 SENATOR HARRIS: -- Mr. Sessions for a yes or
3 no.
4 Did you ask your staff --
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: So the answer is,
6 yes, I consulted.
7 SENATOR HARRIS: -- to see the policy. Did
8 you ask your staff to see the policy?
9 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator's time has expired.
10 SENATOR HARRIS: Apparently, no.
11 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Cornyn.
12 SENATOR CORNYN: Attorney General Sessions,
13 former Director Comey's letter to FBI employees when he
14 was terminated started this way. He said, "I have long
15 believed that a president can fire an FBI director for
16 any reason or no reason at all." Do you agree with
17 that?
18 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Yes, and I think
19 that was good for him to say because I believe we're
20 going to have a new and excellent FBI director person
21 who is smart, disciplined, with integrity and proven
22 judgment. That would be good for the bureau and I
PLANET DEPOS
1 think that statement probably was a valuable thing for

2 Director Comey to say and I appreciate that he did.
3 SENATOR CORNYN: Just to reiterate the
4 timeline of your recusal and the Rosenstein memo and
5 your letter to the President recommending the
6 termination of Director Comey, you recused from the
7 Russian investigation on March the 2nd, correct?
8 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: The formal recusal
9 took place on that date.
10 SENATOR CORNYN: The letter that you wrote
11 forwarding the Rosenstein memo to the President as a
12 basis for Director Comey's termination was dated May
13 the 9th, a couple of months after you had recused from
14 the Russian investigation, correct?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I believe that's
16 correct.
17 SENATOR CORNYN: So isn't it true that the
18 Russian investigation didn't [skip in audio] into your
19 recommendation to fire Director Comey?
21 SENATOR CORNYN: The memorandum written by the
22 Deputy Attorney General, your letter to the President
PLANET DEPOS
1 forwarding that recommendation didn't mention Russia at

2 all; is that your recollection?
4 SENATOR CORNYN: So let's review what the
5 basis was of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein's
6 recommendation. He wrote in his memo on May the 9th,
7 he said, "I cannot defend the Director's handling of
8 the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary
9 Clinton's emails and I do not understand his refusal to
10 accept the nearly universal judgment that he was
11 mistaken." And of course he's talking about Director
12 Comey.
13 He went on to say, "The Director" -- that was
14 Director Comey at the time -- "was wrong to usurp the
15 Attorney General's authority on July the 5th, 2016."
16 You'll recall that was the date of the press conference
17 he held.
18 He went on to say that, "The FBI director is
19 never empowered to supplant federal prosecutors and
20 assume command of the Justice Department." Finally, he
21 said, "Compounding the error, the Director ignored
22 another longstanding principle that we do not hold
PLANET DEPOS
1 press conferences to release derogatory information

2 about the subject of a declined criminal
3 investigation."
4 In fact, there is written policy from the
5 Department of Justice, is there not, entitled "Election
6 Year Sensitivities". Are you familiar with the
7 prohibition of the Justice Department making
8 announcements or taking other actions that might
9 interfere with the normal elections?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I am generally
11 familiar with that. Some of those were (inaudible)
12 memoranda after my time in the Department.
13 SENATOR CORNYN: Well, let me read --
14 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: There's always
15 been rules about it though.
16 SENATOR CORNYN: Well, let me read just an
17 excerpt from a memo from the Attorney General,
18 March 9th, 2012, entitled "Election Year
19 Sensitivities". It says, "Law enforcement officers and
20 prosecutors may never select the timing of
21 investigative steps or criminal charges for the purpose
22 of effecting any election or for the purpose of giving
PLANET DEPOS
1 an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or

2 political party. Such a purpose is inconsistent with
3 the Department's mission and with the principles of
4 federal prosecution." Do you agree with that?
5 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Essentially, yes.
6 SENATOR CORNYN: So what essentially the
7 Deputy Attorney General said is that former Director
8 Comey violated Department of Justice directives when he
9 held a press conference on July the 5th, 2016. He
10 announced that Secretary Clinton was extremely careless
11 with classified email and went on to release other
12 derogatory information including his conclusion that
13 she was extremely careless but yet went on to say that
14 no reasonable prosecutor would prosecute her. That is
15 not the role of the FBI director, is it? That is a job
16 for the prosecutors at the Department of Justice. That
17 was meant by Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein when he
18 said that Director Comey usurped the role of the
19 Department of Justice prosecutors; is that right?
21 And former Attorney General Bill Barr wrote an
22 (inaudible) recently in which he said he has assumed
PLANET DEPOS
1 that Attorney General Lynch had urged Mr. Comey to make

2 this announcement so she wouldn't have to do it. But
3 in fact it appears he did it without her approval
4 totally and that is a pretty stunning thing. It is a
5 stunning thing and it violates fundamental powers. And
6 then when he reaffirmed the rightness, he believed, of
7 his decision on May 3rd, I think it was, that was
8 additional confirmation that the Director's thinking
9 was not clear.
10 CHAIRMAN BURR: Senator Reed.
11 SENATOR REED: Thank you very much,
12 Mr. Chairman.
13 First, a point, Attorney General, Senator
14 Heinrich and others raised the issue of longstanding
15 rules. If there are written rules to this effect,
16 would you provide them to the Committee, please?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I will.
18 SENATOR REED: Thank you very much. Now,
19 Senator Cornyn has made the point that the whole
20 substance of your recommendation to the President to
21 dismiss Director Comey was his unprofessional conduct
22 with respect to the Clinton administration; is that
PLANET DEPOS
1 correct?
2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: [Skip in audio]
3 that the Deputy Attorney General put in his memorandum
4 as good and important factors to use in determining
5 whether or not he had conducted himself in a way that
6 justified continuing in office. I think it pretty well
7 speaks for itself and I believe most of it did deal
8 with that.
9 Now, the discussion about his performance was
10 a bipartisan discussion. It began during the election
11 time. Democrats were very unhappy about the way he
12 conducted himself and in retrospect in looking at it, I
13 think it was more egregious than I may have even
14 understood at the time.
15 SENATOR REED: General --
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: You're not -- with
17 regard to --
18 SENATOR REED: General, if I may.
20 SENATOR REED: And I don't want to cut you
21 off.
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Okay. I'll let
PLANET DEPOS
1 you go. I'm sorry.

2 SENATOR REED: Excuse me, sir, but -- on July
3 7th when Mr. Comey made his first announcement about
4 the case, you were on Fox News and you said, first of
5 all, "Director Comey is a skilled former prosecutor."
6 And then you concluded by saying essentially that it's
7 not his problem, it's Hillary Clinton's problem.
8 Then in November, on November 6th after
9 Mr. Comey again made news in late October by reopening,
10 if you will, the investigation, you said again on Fox
11 News, "You know, FBI Director Comey did the right thing
12 when he found new evidence. He had no choice but to
13 report it to (inaudible) Congress where he had under
14 oath testified. The investigation was over. He had to
15 correct that and say this investigation is ongoing now.
16 I'm sure it's significant or else he wouldn't have
17 announced that."
18 So in July and November Director Comey was
19 doing exactly the right thing. You had no criticism of
20 him. You felt that in fact he was a skilled,
21 professional prosecutor. You felt that his last
22 statement in October was fully justified. So how can
PLANET DEPOS
1 you go from those statements to agreeing with

2 Mr. Rosenstein and then asking the President or
3 recommending he be fired?
4 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I think in
5 retrospect, as all of us began to look at that clearly
6 and talk about it as perspectives of the Department of
7 Justice, once the Director had first got involved and
8 embroiled in a public discussion of this investigation
9 which would have been better never have been discussed
10 publicly and said it was over, then when he found new
11 evidence that came up, I think he probably was required
12 to tell Congress that it wasn't over, that new evidence
13 had been developed.
14 It probably would have been better and would
15 have been consistent with the rules of the Department
16 of Justice to never have talked about the investigation
17 to begin with. Once you get down that road, that's the
18 kind of thing that you get into that went against
19 classical prosecuting policies that I learned and was
20 taught when I was a United States attorney and
21 assistant United States attorney.
22 SENATOR REED: If I may ask another question.
PLANET DEPOS
1 Your whole premise in recommending to the President --

2 well, it was the actions in October involving Secretary
3 of State Clinton, the whole Clinton controversy. Did
4 you feel mislead when the President announced that his
5 real reason for dismissing Mr. Comey was the Russian
6 investigation?
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't have --
8 I'm not able to characterize that. I wouldn't try to
9 comment on that.
10 SENATOR REED: So you had no inkling that
11 there was anything to do with Russia until the
12 President of the United States basically declared not
13 only on T.V. but in the Oval Office to the Russian
14 Foreign Minister saying "The pressure is off now. I
15 got rid of that nut job." That came to you as a
16 complete surprise?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, call I can
18 say is, Senator Reed, that our recommendation was put
19 in writing and I believe it was correct and I believe
20 the President valued it, but how he made his decision
21 was his process.
22 SENATOR REED: And you had no inkling that he
PLANET DEPOS
1 was considering the Russian investigation?

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, I'm not
3 going to try to guess what (inaudible).
4 SENATOR REED: No, I -- that's fair. I just -
5 - there is a scenario in which this whole weak
6 capitulation that Clinton was a story basically, a
7 cover story that the President sort of tried to put out
8 and that he quickly abandoned and his real reason was
9 [skip in audio] had been the case, I would suspect
10 (inaudible) principle would have preclude yourself from
11 any involvement. Thank you.
12 CHAIRMAN BURR: Thank you. Senator McCain?
13 SENATOR MCCAIN: Over the last few weeks the
14 Administration has characterized your previously
15 undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Kislyak as
16 meetings you took in your official capacity as U.S.
17 Senator and a member of the Senate Armed Services
18 Committee. As chairman of that committee, let me ask
19 you a few questions about that. At these meetings, did
20 you raise concerns about Russian invasion of Ukraine or
21 annexation of Crimea?
22 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I did, Senator
PLANET DEPOS
1 McCain, and I would like to follow up a little bit on

2 that. That's one of the meetings that I -- that's one
3 of issues that I recall explicitly. The day before my
4 meeting with the Russian ambassador, I had met with the
5 Ukrainian ambassador and I heard his concerns about
6 Russia. And so I raised those with Mr. Kislyak and he
7 gave, as you can imagine, not one inch. Everything
8 they did -- the Russians had done, according to him,
9 was correct and I remember pushing back on it and it
10 was a bit testy on that subject.
11 SENATOR MCCAIN: Knowing you on the Committee,
12 I can't imagine that. Did you raise concerns about
13 Russia's support for President Bashar al-Assad and his
14 campaign of indiscriminate violence against his own
15 citizens including his use of chemical weapons?
17 whether that was discussed or not.
18 SENATOR MCCAIN: Did you raise concerns about
19 Russia's interference in our electoral process or its
20 interference in the electoral processes of our allies?
21 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I dont recall
22 that being discussed.
PLANET DEPOS
1 SENATOR MCCAIN: At those meetings, if you

2 spoke with Ambassador Kislyak in your capacity as a
3 member of the Armed Services Committee, you presumably
4 talked with him about Russia-related security issues
5 that you have demonstrated as important to you as a
6 member of the Committee?
7 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Did I discuss
8 security issues --
9 SENATOR MCCAIN: Yeah, I don't recall you as
10 being particularly vocal on such issues.
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Repeat that,
12 Senator McCain. I'm sorry.
13 SENATOR MCCAIN: The whole Russia-related
14 security issues that you demonstrate as important to
15 you as a member of the Committee, did you raise those
16 with him?
17 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: You mean such
18 issues as nuclear issues or --
19 SENATOR MCCAIN: Yeah, in other words, Russia-
20 related security issues. In your capacity as the
21 Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, what
22 Russia-related security issues did you hold hearings on
PLANET DEPOS
1 or otherwise demonstrate a team interest in?

2 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Well, we may have
3 discussed that. I don't -- I just don't have a real
4 recall of the meeting. I may -- I was not making a
5 report about it to anyone. I just was basically
6 willing to meet and see what he discussed.
7 SENATOR MCCAIN: And his response was?
9 SENATOR MCCAIN: During the 2016 campaign
10 season, did you have any contacts with any
11 representative including any American lobbyists or
12 agent of any Russian company within or outside your
13 capacity as a member of Congress and a member of the
14 Armed Services Committee?
15 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't believe
16 so.
17 SENATOR MCCAIN: Politico recently reported
18 that in the middle of the 2016 elections the FBI found
19 that Russian diplomats whose travel the State
20 Department was supposed to track had gone missing.
21 Some turned up wandering around the desert and driving
22 around Kansas.
PLANET DEPOS
1 Reportedly, intelligent sources conclude that

2 after about a year of inattention these movements
3 indicate that, one, Moscow's espionage ground game has
4 grown stronger and more brazen and that quietly the
5 Kremlin has been trying to map the United States
6 telecommunications infrastructure. What do you know
7 about this development and how the Justice Department
8 and other relevant U.S. government agencies responding
9 to it?
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: We need to do
11 more, Senator McCain. I am worried about it. We also
12 see that from other nations with these kinds of
13 technological skills like China and some of the other
14 nations that are penetrating our business interests,
15 our national security interests. As a member of the
16 Armed Services Committee, I did support and advocate
17 and I think you supported legislation that would -- and
18 it's ongoing now that requires the Defense Department
19 to identify weaknesses in our system and how we can fix
20 them. But I would say to you, Senator McCain, that in
21 my short tenure here in the Department of Justice I've
22 been more concerned about computer hacking and those
PLANET DEPOS
1 issues than I was in the [skip in audio]. You're

2 correct.
3 SENATOR MCCAIN: The Washington Post reported
4 yesterday, Russia has developed a cyber weapon that can
5 disrupt the United States power grids and
6 telecommunications infrastructure. This weapon is
7 similar to what Russia or Russian allied hackers used
8 to disrupt Ukraine's electrical grid in 2015. Can you
9 discuss a little bit in open session how serious that
10 is?
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: I don't believe I
12 can discuss the technological issues just to say that
13 it is very disturbing that the Russians continue to
14 push hostile actions in their foreign policy and it is
15 not good for the United States or the world or Russia,
16 in my opinion.
17 SENATOR MCCAIN: Do you believe we have a
18 strategy in order to counter these ever increasing
19 threats to our national security and our way of life?
20 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Not sufficient.
21 We do not have a sufficient strategy dealing with
22 technological and IT penetrations of our system. I
PLANET DEPOS
1 truly believe it's more important than I ever did

2 before and I appreciate your concern and leadership on
3 that issue and, in fact, all of Congress is going to
4 have to do better.
5 CHAIRMAN BURR: The Senator's time has
6 expired. The Chair would recognize the Vice Chair.
7 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Thank you,
8 Mr. Chairman.
9 And General Sessions, thank you. And I
10 particularly appreciate your last comments with Senator
11 McCain about the seriousness of this threat and it's
12 why so many of us on this committee are concerned on
13 the whole question of Russian intervention. The
14 President continues to refer to it as a witch hunt and
15 fake news and there doesn't seem to be recognition of
16 the seriousness of this threat.
17 I share, I think most member do, the consensus
18 that the Russians massively interfered. They want to
19 continue to interfere, not to favor one party or
20 another but to favor their own interests. And it is of
21 enormous concern that we have to hear from the
22 Administration how they're going to take that on.
PLANET DEPOS
1 I also -- comments have been made here about

2 where we had in terms of some of the Trump associates
3 who may have had contacts with Russians and we've not
4 gotten to all of that yet because of the unprecedented
5 firing of the FBI director that was leading this very
6 same Russian investigation that superseded some of our
7 activities.
8 So those members who I hope will equally
9 pursue the very troubling amount of smoke at least
10 that's out there between individuals that were
11 affiliated with the Trump campaign possible ties with
12 Russians. I've not reached any conclusion, but we've
13 got to pursue that.
14 Final comment, and I understand your point but
15 you have to -- there were a series of comments made by
16 Mr. Comey last week. I think members on this side of
17 the aisle have indicated understand executive
18 privilege, understand classified setting. I do think
19 we need, as Senator Reed indicated and Senator Harris
20 and others, if there are these longstanding written
21 procedures about this ability to have some other
22 category to protect the conversations with the
PLANET DEPOS
1 President, we would like to get a look at them because

2 we need to find out, in light of some of the
3 contradictions between today and last week, where this
4 all heads.
5 At the end of the day this is not only --
6 (inaudible) the last time, this is not about we
7 litigate in 2016. It is about finding out what
8 happened about some of the serious allegations about
9 potential ties, but on a going forward basis making
10 sure that the Russians who are not finished in terms of
11 their activities didn't end on Election Day of 2016.
12 We know that is ongoing and we have to be better
13 prepared on a going forward basis.
14 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
15 CHAIRMAN BURR: Thank you, Vice Chairman.
16 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Mr. Chairman, one
17 brief comment, if you don't mind. I do want to say
18 that a change at the top of the FBI should have no
19 impact whatsoever on the investigation. Those teams
20 have been working and they'll continue to work and
21 they've not been altered in any way.
22 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: But there were a number
PLANET DEPOS
1 of very strange comments that Mr. Comey testified to

2 last week that you could have, I believe, shed some
3 light on. But we'll continue. Thank you, sir.
5 CHAIRMAN BURR: General Sessions, thank you
6 again for your willingness to be here. I'm not sure
7 that you knew it, but your replacement sat through most
8 of this hearing, Luther Strange. He's made us regret
9 that we don't have intramural basketball teams
10 (inaudible).
11 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: Big Luther is a
12 good round ball player at Tulane.
13 CHAIRMAN BURR: You've been asked a wide range
14 of questions and I think you've answered things related
15 to claims about the meeting at the Mayflower. You've
16 answered questions that surround the reasons of your
17 recusal and the fact that you had never been briefed
18 since day one on the investigation. But you made clear
19 that you can't think of any other conversations that
20 you've had with Russian officials. You've covered in
21 detail the conversation that you had, though brief,
22 with Director Comey that he referenced to after his
PLANET DEPOS
1 private meeting with the President. Just to name a few

2 things that I think you've helped us to clear up.
3 There were several questions that you chose
4 not to answer because of confidentiality with the
5 President. I would only ask you now to go back and
6 work with the White House to see if there are any areas
7 of questions that they feel comfortable with you
8 answering and if they do that you provide those answers
9 in writing to the Committee.
10 I would also be remiss if I didn't remind you
11 that those documents that you can provide for the
12 Committee, they would be helpful to us for the purposes
13 of sorting timelines out, anything that substantiates
14 your testimony today. Individuals who might have been
15 at events that you're familiar with, especially those
16 that work for you, would be extremely helpful.
17 And more importantly, I want to thank you for
18 your agreement to have a continuing dialogue with us as
19 we might need to ask some additional questions as we go
20 a little further down the investigation. That
21 certainly does not have to be a public hearing, but it
22 may be an exchange and dialogue that we have.
PLANET DEPOS
1 You have helped us tremendously and we're

2 grateful to you and to Mary for the unbelievable
3 sacrifice that you made in this institution but also
4 now in this administration. This hearing is now
5 adjourned.
6 (End of audio.)
7 -oOo-
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22 CERTIFICATE OF TRANSCRIBER
PLANET DEPOS
1 I, DEBRA MCCOSTLIN, do hereby certify that

2 the foregoing transcript is a true and correct record
3 of the recorded proceedings; that said proceedings
4 were transcribed to the best of my ability from the
5 audio recording as provided; and that I am neither
6 counsel for, related to, nor employed by any of the
7 parties to this case and have no interest, financial
8 or otherwise, in its outcome.
9
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13 ___________________
14 DEBRA MCCOSTLIN
15 JUNE 14, 2017
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PLANET DEPOS
A accompanied actually advise
aback 67:11 7:2, 27:2, 13:8, 18:15
15:18 according 39:13, 50:18, advised
abandoned 42:15, 130:8 82:22, 94:1, 15:13
129:8 accounts 107:21, 110:12, advisor
abide 102:12 112:22 7:14, 9:16,
20:18 accurate addition 19:2, 27:21
ability 91:3 6:19, 10:11, advisor-type
3:6, 19:4, accusation 17:5 28:20
34:10, 38:21, 92:4 additional advisory
99:10, 136:21, accusations 30:21, 31:1, 7:13, 40:19
141:4 39:4 77:18, 124:8, advocate
able accuse 139:19 133:16
4:22, 29:12, 114:14 address affiliated
36:17, 46:21, accused 3:22, 13:4, 136:11
53:9, 53:10, 64:6, 107:5 13:13, 25:20 affirm
54:3, 59:12, accusing addressed 82:1
72:12, 72:16, 30:9 30:15, 107:19 affirmed
84:12, 92:13, achieving adhere 45:5, 83:12
93:6, 99:8, 22:1 31:13, 36:20 afraid
107:9, 108:21, acknowledge adhered 110:5
112:2, 114:18, 17:7 54:10, 55:16 after
115:17, 128:8 acknowledged adjourned 14:5, 15:10,
above 8:9, 11:5, 140:5 16:16, 17:1,
5:17, 32:5, 59:6, 62:22 administer 23:1, 43:5,
94:17 act 12:7 44:12, 47:5,
absolute 51:1 administration 58:13, 81:5,
65:10 acted 11:13, 11:16, 81:7, 81:12,
absolutely 107:18 22:6, 50:21, 81:14, 82:20,
48:3, 49:2, acting 124:22, 129:14, 89:8, 93:10,
49:10, 76:3, 35:21, 40:11, 135:22, 140:4 105:15, 108:5,
93:22 71:15 admiral 120:13, 122:12,
absurd action 54:14, 75:10, 126:8, 133:2,
19:16 10:14, 18:9 78:3 138:22
abundance actions admission afternoon
42:2, 94:4 9:5, 35:14, 31:21 110:18
accept 36:7, 122:8, admitted afterwards
121:10 128:2, 134:14 76:19 81:7, 81:11
acceptable active adopted again
11:22 46:2, 47:8, 19:13, 55:12 6:3, 10:4,
access 61:20, 89:18, advance 10:14, 11:2,
18:1, 33:20, 90:2 22:8 11:9, 40:3,
97:19 activities advantage 42:15, 42:16,
accessed 16:2, 136:7, 123:1 44:5, 46:6,
64:10 137:11 adversaries 58:15, 77:9,
accommodate activity 11:1 91:9, 97:1,
7:3 15:22 advice 98:14, 126:9,
actual 103:6 126:10, 138:6
70:9
PLANET DEPOS
against all 115:17 american
21:10, 127:18, 5:13, 7:5, already 2:11, 3:12,
130:14 9:21, 11:10, 40:18, 51:16, 4:21, 5:10,
agencies 21:11, 30:15, 64:14, 87:16, 12:1, 21:22,
60:9, 69:19, 38:1, 40:10, 110:6 46:3, 46:5,
70:17, 70:19, 40:11, 48:4, also 49:4, 62:13,
94:10, 110:3, 48:19, 49:3, 3:10, 4:17, 62:14, 104:16,
110:4, 133:8 57:7, 67:18, 5:22, 6:14, 7:4, 107:7, 132:11
agency 70:17, 78:7, 7:19, 8:10, americans
69:21, 77:13 80:5, 80:19, 8:14, 9:13, 62:15
agenda 83:7, 87:12, 10:17, 14:9, among
21:21, 22:2 91:14, 91:22, 17:3, 17:10, 67:22, 95:10
agendas 93:4, 95:17, 33:18, 56:2, amount
22:1 97:22, 102:21, 63:9, 74:18, 136:9
agent 116:20, 119:16, 75:6, 77:21, anger
82:10, 132:12 121:2, 126:5, 92:19, 93:18, 67:1
agents 127:5, 135:3, 94:9, 97:15, annexation
118:18 136:4, 137:4 99:6, 133:11, 129:21
ago allegation 136:1, 139:10, announced
84:12, 86:8, 15:18, 16:9 140:3 17:22, 123:10,
105:5 allegations altered 126:17, 128:4
agree 3:20, 11:18, 137:21 announcement
5:13, 32:22, 12:22, 15:11, although 124:2, 126:3
36:11, 38:12, 21:10, 107:19, 114:6 announcements
77:13, 78:21, 137:8 always 122:8
119:16, 123:4 alleged 6:22, 78:15, another
agreed 89:3, 109:4 102:9, 122:14 61:6, 121:22,
38:21, 39:18, alleging amazed 127:22, 135:20
39:20, 40:1, 46:10 91:15 answer
59:1, 99:7 allied ambassador 6:15, 11:17,
agreeing 134:7 8:10, 14:2, 15:5, 16:7,
20:12, 127:1 allies 14:4, 14:8, 23:9, 26:14,
agreement 3:6, 130:20 16:22, 17:4, 33:16, 37:1,
139:18 allow 24:3, 24:4, 44:11, 53:10,
ahead 23:5, 44:11, 24:11, 26:4, 54:16, 66:17,
7:18, 33:1 118:6 41:9, 41:12, 66:22, 67:6,
aipac allowed 42:13, 80:18, 67:12, 73:4,
25:21 67:8, 118:5 95:13, 96:7, 73:5, 73:6,
aisle allowing 96:10, 106:17, 74:14, 74:18,
9:21, 56:9, 12:17 109:8, 111:9, 76:6, 76:9,
136:17 alluded 129:15, 130:4, 78:6, 84:18,
al-assad 107:15 130:5, 131:2 85:5, 85:14,
130:13 almost ambassadors 88:10, 99:7,
alabama 78:3, 78:4 48:9, 80:11, 100:2, 117:20,
80:15 alone 95:14, 95:15, 118:2, 118:5,
alan 45:2, 58:15 95:22 118:8, 119:5,
106:7 along america 139:4
alarming 19:10, 56:22, 2:13 answered
10:2 8:4, 78:7,
PLANET DEPOS
87:18, 138:14, 77:2, 88:20, ardent 86:9, 86:10,
138:16 124:3 7:11 86:21, 87:6,
answering apply area 87:9, 87:11,
64:7, 65:1, 82:9, 85:8 14:6, 24:19, 89:12, 95:3,
73:1, 73:18, appointed 25:13 97:5, 99:3,
74:11, 75:8, 13:2, 70:16, areas 104:22, 105:2,
139:8 71:19 82:8, 139:6 105:8, 108:3,
answers appointment argue 108:14, 117:17,
12:1, 62:16, 30:3 38:4, 60:21 118:3, 118:21,
65:15, 99:9, appreciate arguments 138:13
139:8 2:3, 6:3, 6:12, 38:4 asking
anxious 12:18, 13:6, arising 10:4, 26:8,
25:18 32:20, 41:21, 27:21 34:15, 74:21,
anyone 65:14, 96:18, armed 75:2, 79:2,
8:2, 14:17, 107:8, 120:2, 25:11, 48:7, 86:16, 87:3,
45:9, 50:2, 135:2, 135:10 129:17, 131:3, 103:8, 103:9,
53:3, 60:13, appreciation 132:14, 133:16 103:10, 116:21,
61:7, 96:12, 118:12 arms 117:16, 117:17,
132:5 appropriate 110:11, 110:15 127:2
anything 10:16, 20:14, army assert
45:4, 75:20, 28:21, 33:4, 25:10 85:3, 85:7,
108:19, 112:18, 34:1, 36:10, arose 85:12, 85:13,
128:11, 139:13 39:12, 40:20, 47:15 85:21
anytime 55:14, 56:10, around asserted
59:17 58:16, 68:6, 5:12, 40:18, 18:19, 77:19,
anywhere 70:8, 71:14, 132:21, 132:22 84:22, 85:22,
47:3, 47:18, 72:1, 77:9, arrangement 88:14, 88:17
59:20 87:1, 96:8, 95:20 asserting
apart 108:15, 109:14, article 86:2
37:21 111:17, 111:20 46:10, 46:13 assertion
appalling appropriately ascertain 15:4, 76:14
15:3 113:3 34:14 assessment
apparently appropriateness aside 76:18
20:8, 82:12, 73:9, 74:10, 63:5, 63:10, assistant
119:10 75:19 63:19 127:21
appear appropriations asked associates
2:4, 12:17, 6:9, 33:9, 8:1, 10:12, 7:17, 67:2,
23:8, 33:3, 92:12 15:9, 16:6, 100:17, 105:2,
45:15 approval 16:17, 26:16, 114:20, 136:2
appearance 118:19, 124:3 30:16, 44:8, assume
6:3, 6:20, approve 44:14, 51:1, 80:1, 121:20
32:20 74:17, 95:8 51:20, 51:21, assumed
appearances approximately 52:10, 57:2, 21:5, 123:22
6:10, 6:18 96:2 63:3, 64:12, assuming
appeared april 66:3, 66:8, 83:15
2:8, 65:15 8:12, 40:15, 67:4, 68:21, assure
appears 40:17, 42:13, 75:18, 76:17, 41:16, 100:10,
61:11, 76:15, 79:3, 95:1 82:18, 83:11, 104:10
PLANET DEPOS
assured 16:2, 35:3, 137:13 65:17, 66:18,
105:13 36:1, 47:13, basketball 68:16, 70:12,
atf 60:8, 63:17, 138:9 71:14, 75:20,
69:19 96:9, 114:4, bearing 78:20, 82:18,
attack 115:2, 115:4 17:19 89:18, 90:11,
11:1, 62:20, away became 91:1, 97:13,
89:10 73:15 28:19, 94:1 99:3, 100:6,
attacks awful because 100:17, 102:12,
22:10 71:10 18:18, 18:21, 102:18, 107:3,
attempted B 28:3, 28:12, 109:20, 112:6,
111:4 back 29:3, 29:8, 112:18, 113:6,
attempts 5:19, 56:18, 31:1, 31:18, 118:3, 122:15,
10:18 60:13, 64:7, 35:4, 35:17, 127:9, 127:13,
attend 69:4, 86:19, 37:13, 50:14, 127:14, 127:15,
13:16 92:2, 93:8, 52:7, 52:17, 129:9, 133:5,
attended 96:19, 97:7, 54:22, 57:14, 133:22, 136:1,
13:17, 13:19, 130:9, 139:5 58:6, 64:10, 137:20, 137:21,
14:8, 79:10, backed 66:10, 71:2, 138:13, 138:17,
89:13 72:14, 76:15, 139:14
45:8 before
attending bail 76:16, 76:20,
95:22 77:11, 80:1, 2:4, 2:9, 6:12,
109:20 11:22, 12:17,
attention ball 82:12, 83:15,
93:5, 96:14 87:1, 88:5, 13:5, 20:9,
138:12 23:8, 25:12,
attorneys bannon 88:11, 102:9,
29:6, 75:13 102:18, 104:4, 25:21, 30:12,
101:14 33:3, 33:6,
audience barr 105:11, 105:14,
107:2, 116:19, 34:19, 39:12,
43:15 123:21 39:22, 40:5,
audio 117:1, 119:19,
based 136:4, 137:1, 43:5, 63:11,
16:10, 16:18, 37:1, 49:22, 65:15, 67:3,
71:8, 71:16, 139:4
50:1, 68:7, becoming 67:21, 73:15,
76:18, 86:9, 90:7, 90:18, 78:1, 85:17,
92:12, 97:15, 21:12
117:11, 117:15 been 89:8, 112:1,
103:19, 114:19, bashar 113:11, 115:7,
120:18, 125:2, 6:10, 7:19,
130:13 8:2, 8:10, 13:5, 115:19, 116:2,
129:9, 134:1, basic 116:18, 117:8,
140:6, 141:5 16:2, 16:19,
112:13 18:8, 18:20, 130:3, 135:2
australian basically began
109:6 19:11, 21:4,
28:11, 45:7, 23:22, 36:13, 125:10, 127:5
authority 64:9, 128:12, begin
55:20, 68:10, 40:16, 40:18,
129:6, 132:5 41:15, 43:8, 10:3, 127:17
121:15 basis beginning
authorized 47:8, 47:12,
16:10, 34:13, 47:21, 48:4, 6:21, 91:13
27:14 36:22, 63:1, behalf
available 50:9, 51:2,
84:17, 85:4, 51:19, 52:7, 4:2, 5:9
7:6, 29:20, 85:14, 109:12, 54:8, 54:18, behind
32:22 118:1, 120:12, 54:19, 56:5, 3:2, 4:11,
aware 121:5, 137:9, 60:8, 63:10, 57:3, 57:10
10:17, 14:21,
PLANET DEPOS
being believes blessed break
15:19, 23:5, 9:18 78:20 76:22
26:2, 27:6, belongs blow breaking
29:11, 45:2, 62:13 5:12 15:19
56:17, 56:22, beside blue breathtaking
57:17, 65:13, 14:9, 92:6 40:9 77:15
88:2, 96:22, best blunt brief
97:11, 98:6, 2:22, 5:14, 78:2, 78:10, 14:3, 17:1,
109:21, 115:19, 23:9, 32:8, 78:11, 78:21, 18:15, 94:13,
130:22, 131:10 40:2, 41:11, 79:9, 79:14, 96:5, 137:17,
belief 55:13, 64:5, 79:18, 80:1, 138:21
18:19 65:14, 70:18, 80:6, 80:10, briefed
believe 73:4, 100:21, 80:19, 81:4, 18:1, 31:18,
3:8, 6:13, 101:6, 110:19, 81:16, 82:14, 97:13, 138:17
6:14, 8:4, 9:21, 113:18, 114:15, 82:20, 83:5, briefing
10:9, 11:4, 141:4 83:14, 108:3 20:5, 58:1,
11:11, 21:15, better body 81:13, 89:2,
24:7, 25:20, 20:17, 45:13, 2:6, 14:19, 89:12, 89:13,
26:5, 28:16, 68:19, 70:13, 15:8, 21:15 90:2
29:14, 31:12, 82:5, 98:14, boente briefly
31:21, 35:5, 102:22, 115:18, 72:1, 72:5 67:8
35:9, 41:5, 127:9, 127:14, boldly bring
44:19, 44:22, 135:4, 137:12 77:19 33:5, 93:6,
47:19, 50:17, between bombing 102:17
51:19, 51:22, 15:15, 21:3, 109:8 broadened
55:7, 58:21, 46:11, 49:7, bond 97:19
59:5, 60:16, 53:5, 89:5, 106:12 brought
62:14, 67:5, 96:7, 96:9, book 40:16, 40:17,
68:22, 69:6, 100:15, 109:5, 33:21 76:11
69:17, 70:12, 136:10, 137:3 both brush
71:7, 74:8, beyond 9:4, 9:21, 106:1
75:17, 77:7, 18:7, 68:13, 40:1, 47:1, bucket
77:21, 81:21, 107:7, 117:2 54:18, 56:9, 73:6, 73:7,
82:19, 85:22, big 68:4, 73:16, 73:9
86:12, 86:22, 138:11 77:10, 78:14, budget
87:16, 88:5, bill 85:11, 95:9, 2:18, 2:20,
88:18, 90:5, 123:21 102:18 19:6
100:8, 103:18, billion bottom bureau
109:21, 114:1, 19:6 12:22, 75:4
116:12, 119:19, 119:22
bipartisan bourne burr
120:15, 125:7, 110:14, 125:10 106:9, 106:11
128:19, 132:15, 2:1, 12:5,
bit brain 12:12, 12:16,
134:11, 134:17, 31:15, 42:14,
135:1, 138:2 26:13, 61:13, 23:10, 24:10,
97:5, 105:21, 100:8 24:13, 24:17,
believed 130:1, 130:10, branch
7:2, 71:2, 24:22, 25:4,
134:9 37:7, 118:15, 25:8, 25:14,
77:8, 119:15, blank
124:6 118:18 26:3, 26:11,
66:13 brazen 27:4, 28:1,
133:4
PLANET DEPOS
28:10, 29:1, campaign 40:19, 79:5, 141:7
29:16, 30:1, 4:2, 7:10, 115:21, 116:4, cases
30:11, 31:16, 7:21, 8:8, 123:1 30:14, 38:4,
32:6, 32:14, 14:11, 14:15, candidates 77:15
32:17, 45:21, 14:18, 15:15, 95:10 category
51:6, 56:15, 16:3, 18:20, cannot 136:22
62:9, 67:14, 19:1, 19:2, 11:1, 13:10, caused
72:7, 78:1, 21:8, 21:12, 19:4, 80:4, 56:8, 108:19
84:5, 91:6, 25:16, 26:8, 88:10, 110:2, caution
96:20, 104:9, 26:11, 27:19, 112:10, 113:9, 42:2, 94:4
104:14, 110:16, 27:22, 28:21, 121:7 center
118:6, 119:9, 29:11, 29:15, capabilities 95:5, 95:12,
119:11, 124:10, 32:8, 42:18, 98:20 95:20
129:12, 135:5, 46:2, 46:11, capability certain
137:15, 138:5, 49:7, 49:15, 107:8 82:8, 109:2,
138:13 49:18, 50:1, capacity 118:16
business 50:3, 50:4, 26:8, 26:11, certainly
133:14 60:7, 60:12, 129:16, 131:2, 17:7, 41:15,
businessman 61:9, 62:3, 131:20, 132:13 42:1, 48:21,
61:7 75:21, 76:3, caper 59:13, 74:9,
businessmen 89:4, 89:19, 106:19 139:21
60:11, 113:21, 89:20, 90:1, capitulation certainty
114:2 95:7, 95:19, 129:6 65:10, 80:5
C 98:7, 100:12, career certificate
cabinet 100:16, 101:2, 17:17, 18:4, 140:22
31:7, 33:5, 101:9, 101:12, 75:13, 93:11 certify
85:16, 116:18 104:4, 105:3, careful 141:1
calendar 107:7, 111:6, 20:13, 93:10 cfr
113:6, 114:20, carefully 18:21, 27:11,
111:2 130:14, 132:9,
calendars 18:9, 34:2 27:14, 28:18
136:11 careless chair
8:17, 112:17 campaign's
call 123:10, 123:13 23:12, 32:7,
7:12, 7:15 carre 40:18, 118:7,
2:1, 53:5, campaigns
59:13, 105:20, 106:6 135:6
93:15 carried chance
107:15, 128:17 campus
called 83:17 40:5, 41:20,
43:8 carry 42:11, 73:15,
16:2, 59:12 can't
calling 45:9 103:6
15:7, 62:17, cartels change
63:10 69:20, 73:5,
calls 22:22 61:18, 61:19,
82:11, 85:11, carter 99:9, 137:18
31:2, 109:6 92:2, 92:3,
came 102:6 changed
130:12, 138:19 61:16
25:2, 25:17, cancelled case
40:5, 40:17, 17:20, 40:12, characteristic
6:11 107:14
43:2, 46:13, candid 60:21, 69:10,
114:8, 117:8, 69:18, 72:2, characterization
4:10 84:14, 109:19, 57:15, 58:17
127:11, 128:15 candidate 126:4, 129:9, characterize
4:4, 27:20, 58:9, 128:8
PLANET DEPOS
characterized classic code 139:7
58:14, 129:14 68:14 27:11 coming
charade classical cogent 23:1, 24:9,
67:5 127:19 91:3 93:4
charge classified coherent command
16:8 23:16, 73:5, 32:12 121:20
charged 107:16, 109:11, collapse commend
5:7, 46:7 123:11, 136:18 115:14 11:20
charges classify colleague comment
46:17, 122:21 90:14 14:19, 54:14 16:5, 20:12,
chased clear colleagues 36:17, 37:4,
46:20 8:13, 11:21, 6:14, 14:12, 53:9, 57:6,
check 19:13, 28:19, 15:6, 15:7, 70:10, 116:19,
100:2 55:9, 78:22, 15:8, 17:13 128:9, 136:14,
chemical 81:17, 85:19, college 137:17
130:15 92:14, 92:15, 43:8 commented
chief 92:22, 94:21, collins 56:2
18:11, 20:6, 118:19, 124:9, 67:14, 67:15, commenting
29:17, 29:19, 138:18, 139:2 68:7, 68:14, 68:12
81:22, 94:9 clearance 68:20, 69:22, comments
china 32:5 70:7, 70:11, 20:21, 29:2,
133:13 cleared 70:21, 72:6 38:18, 135:10,
choice 31:9 collude 136:1, 136:15,
86:6, 126:12 clearly 105:3 138:1
chooses 14:12, 17:10, colluded commit
85:7 29:8, 42:11, 106:17, 107:17 33:3, 35:13,
chose 44:13, 127:5 collusion 113:1
27:8, 139:3 cleveland 14:21, 14:22, commitment
cia's 17:2 46:12, 47:14, 7:4, 32:22,
2:18, 2:19 clinton 48:20, 49:7, 33:18, 78:5,
circumstance 55:18, 56:3, 67:4, 105:17 112:15
85:9 68:9, 77:8, colonel committee
circumstances 90:19, 123:10, 25:10 1:7, 2:4, 3:1,
8:22, 17:10 124:22, 128:3, come 3:9, 3:14, 3:16,
citizens 129:6 6:11, 11:22, 5:11, 5:14,
23:2, 130:15 clinton's 56:9, 88:9, 93:8 5:16, 6:13,
claim 121:9, 126:7 comes 6:16, 7:6, 7:13,
37:14 close 48:21, 85:18 8:16, 10:21,
claimed 15:17, 16:5, comey's 12:17, 13:6,
76:22 27:19, 56:18 6:4, 29:2, 17:6, 17:15,
claiming closed 38:21, 44:6, 20:3, 23:16,
37:10, 37:12 3:2, 66:5, 53:2, 55:8, 30:13, 33:1,
claims 73:6, 78:3, 63:16, 68:8, 33:3, 33:9,
78:5, 99:8, 77:1, 108:4, 33:14, 35:14,
138:15 46:7, 46:8,
clapper 99:9, 99:14, 108:7, 109:12,
99:20 119:13, 120:12 47:5, 61:21,
97:15 62:5, 64:2,
clarify coats comfortable
54:14, 75:10 52:12, 70:22, 64:20, 65:15,
67:16
PLANET DEPOS
66:5, 69:14, community 14:14, 37:21, confirmation
72:12, 75:3, 2:12, 2:14, 82:3, 97:5, 7:21, 15:6,
78:4, 85:17, 10:19, 11:6, 97:12, 98:22, 16:17, 21:12,
89:6, 91:20, 15:12, 15:13, 104:5 124:8
99:22, 104:6, 46:21, 88:21, concerns confirmed
105:7, 105:14, 103:17 19:7, 39:12, 9:19, 39:22,
109:10, 111:16, community's 45:8, 63:17, 40:1, 64:21,
111:18, 112:16, 3:5 71:22, 99:15, 67:21
112:21, 113:7, company 129:20, 130:5, congress
117:8, 124:16, 132:12 130:12, 130:18 11:22, 110:4,
129:18, 130:11, compelled conclude 110:14, 126:13,
131:3, 131:6, 9:6 133:1 127:12, 132:13,
131:15, 132:14, complained concluded 135:3
133:16, 135:12, 59:16 57:1, 126:6 congressional
139:9, 139:12 complete conclusion 74:11, 75:7,
committee's 104:15, 128:16 38:20, 56:10, 75:8, 93:19
2:9, 3:11, completely 121:8, 123:12, connected
4:13, 12:18 58:20 136:12 8:2, 14:17
committees complied conclusions connection
6:10, 6:15, 10:9, 21:6 11:5 90:3
33:4, 33:6, comply concur consensus
69:14 28:8 52:15 135:17
common components conduct consider
68:5 19:20 19:20, 27:17, 6:20, 96:12
communicate compound 34:10, 69:11, consideration
115:20, 116:3, 97:19 99:18, 124:21 93:11, 98:9
116:6, 116:10 compounding conducted considering
communicated 121:21 27:7, 83:9, 34:8, 129:1
29:7 computer 125:5, 125:12 consistence
communication 50:15, 133:22 conducts 13:9
31:5, 37:22, conceivable 3:1 consistent
53:5, 57:5, 41:17, 114:7 conference 45:19, 52:11,
88:11, 88:12, concept 121:16, 123:9 75:17, 127:15
113:21 115:11 conferences constant
communications concern 122:1 46:11
7:22, 13:11, 6:6, 20:9, confidence constituents
16:4, 20:10, 45:2, 45:6, 34:9, 34:20, 2:17
20:19, 21:3, 45:19, 58:22, 34:21, 35:10, constitution
36:19, 43:5, 72:2, 77:10, 35:17 37:7, 84:20,
46:11, 48:2, 77:18, 81:18, confident 118:15
64:3, 64:5, 83:11, 98:9, 20:17, 80:2 constitutional
72:13, 82:3, 98:20, 135:2, confidential 73:14, 75:4,
82:6, 87:13, 135:21 13:11, 37:6, 87:22
106:1, 113:5, concerned 64:3, 64:4, 92:8 constricted
114:5, 115:5, 9:9, 11:2, confidentiality 87:22
115:6, 118:17 45:17, 59:9, 118:17, 139:4 consult
communities 133:22, 135:12 confirm 111:22, 117:7
23:4 concerning 54:4 consulted
10:14, 11:16, 75:13, 119:6
PLANET DEPOS
contact 31:17, 39:2, correct 138:2
8:2 40:14, 41:12, 16:8, 24:4, couldn't
contacts 41:16, 44:18, 24:8, 31:3, 31:16, 65:6,
20:15, 63:18, 45:9, 45:16, 31:19, 41:21, 99:6
132:10, 136:3 48:16, 53:21, 42:12, 44:11, counsel
contemplating 59:1, 67:19, 53:13, 57:3, 13:2, 28:10,
93:2 67:22, 71:1, 58:22, 79:17, 30:2, 34:9,
content 80:14, 81:15, 81:3, 83:3, 74:20, 75:6,
87:13, 109:6 81:17, 82:8, 86:12, 87:15, 99:16, 99:18,
contentions 92:5, 92:15, 87:17, 88:1, 141:6
39:19 96:9, 96:13, 90:20, 114:14, count
contents 98:13, 102:1, 120:7, 120:14, 71:12
109:4 108:10, 108:12, 120:16, 120:20, counter
context 108:13, 111:8, 121:3, 123:20, 134:18
16:6, 16:7, 114:2, 138:21 125:1, 126:15, counter-terrorism
16:12, 68:4 conversations 128:19, 130:9, 58:1
continually 13:15, 13:21, 134:2, 141:2 countries
33:5, 49:21 14:17, 16:12, corrected 61:1
continue 30:22, 36:13, 42:10 country
4:11, 4:17, 36:17, 37:4, correctly 15:1, 21:17,
5:5, 77:19, 37:16, 37:21, 21:5, 26:14, 21:20, 22:5,
134:13, 135:19, 39:6, 41:8, 29:14, 58:20 22:17, 60:21,
137:20, 138:3 48:5, 48:6, correspondence 61:6, 80:15,
continued 48:8, 49:6, 30:20, 111:3, 89:10
63:6 54:5, 59:3, 112:17 country's
continues 59:20, 60:2, corroborated 4:18
71:18, 78:17, 60:17, 69:5, 47:3 couple
135:14 73:11, 74:15, cotton 24:20, 32:10,
continuing 91:15, 91:17, 104:19, 104:20, 78:22, 93:6,
92:7, 92:16, 105:22, 106:5, 120:13
15:14, 48:2, 92:17, 96:4,
125:6, 139:18 106:9, 106:11, course
98:22, 103:4, 106:14, 106:21, 8:8, 21:11,
continuously 109:5, 115:10,
107:3 107:12, 108:2, 93:12, 121:11
116:20, 136:22, 108:16, 109:1, court
contradictions 138:19
137:3 109:19, 110:8 91:22
cooperate could courts
control 7:5
20:21, 118:7 10:13, 26:14, 92:1
cooperating 29:1, 33:20, cover
controversy 99:18
56:9, 128:3 35:17, 40:4, 60:10, 92:13,
corey 42:5, 48:17, 129:7
convention 102:2
17:2, 26:5, 58:12, 59:13, covered
cornyn 59:16, 63:8, 23:22, 138:20
26:19, 43:7, 119:11, 119:12,
111:9, 113:10, 71:9, 74:19, covert
120:3, 120:10, 80:11, 80:13, 106:1
114:7 120:17, 120:21,
conversation 85:8, 90:14, craft
121:4, 122:13, 93:1, 96:5,
14:13, 20:1, 122:16, 123:6, 105:20
96:12, 98:20, crime
20:4, 20:8, 124:19 100:4, 115:12,
24:11, 26:19, 22:13, 109:9
PLANET DEPOS
crimea 81:6, 92:20, 83:17, 94:3, denied
129:21 93:4, 93:9, 124:7, 128:20 40:12, 97:19,
crimes 94:1, 130:3, decisions 109:20
109:2 137:5, 137:11, 69:16, 77:20 deny
criminal 138:18 declared 54:4, 86:1,
27:15, 77:15, days 128:12 86:5
122:2, 122:21 52:4 declination depart
critical dea 56:3, 77:8 44:19, 44:20
89:18 69:19 decline departed
critically dead 56:5, 77:14 76:4
12:18 106:1 declined department
criticism deal 55:18, 116:19, 2:7, 6:22, 9:3,
126:19 45:13, 70:8, 122:2 13:9, 17:17,
crowd 70:9, 74:19, dedicated 18:21, 18:23,
24:20 125:7 2:5, 5:8, 21:13 19:5, 19:19,
crystal dealing deeply 20:13, 20:14,
94:21 134:21 9:20 20:16, 21:2,
current dealt defend 21:3, 22:8,
3:11, 28:12 55:17, 92:11 121:7 23:5, 27:7,
custody deaths defending 27:12, 27:13,
109:21 22:17, 22:20 21:9 28:7, 28:8,
cut debate defense 29:7, 31:6,
125:20 5:14, 38:2, 133:18 31:10, 31:13,
cyber 62:2, 62:5 defensive 32:3, 36:12,
134:4 debra 61:16 37:3, 37:16,
D 1:22, 141:1, deference 38:1, 38:3,
141:14 95:18 45:7, 45:11,
damaging 54:11, 55:20,
110:1
decades define
9:2, 20:17, 93:7 58:12, 59:14,
daniel 64:1, 64:16,
21:15 definitive
106:6 december 68:1, 68:10,
date 8:4
97:17 degree 68:15, 68:18,
4:15, 11:4, decency 69:10, 69:15,
17:16, 18:11, 109:15
71:21 delivery 69:20, 71:5,
120:9, 121:16 71:10, 71:11,
dated decide 26:1
4:6, 55:22, 71:17, 73:20,
54:22, 120:12 democracies 74:7, 75:14,
david 57:19, 74:1, 11:10
77:14 77:12, 82:2,
106:8 democratic 82:9, 93:11,
decided 11:2, 12:20,
day 51:16, 76:15, 109:14, 111:22,
15:20, 16:20, 15:2, 62:21, 112:2, 112:8,
93:13, 95:6 110:13
17:15, 20:8, decision 113:2, 118:13,
22:7, 22:15, democrats 121:20, 122:5,
28:11, 29:10, 18:5, 29:18, 47:1, 95:9,
52:7, 61:17, 122:7, 122:12,
33:21, 45:1, 105:7, 105:14, 123:8, 123:16,
48:10, 56:20, 63:15, 64:19, 125:11
69:21, 70:3, 123:19, 127:6,
58:21, 64:9, demonstrate 127:15, 132:20,
67:3, 81:1, 70:5, 70:13, 131:14, 132:1
72:10, 74:17, 133:7, 133:18,
demonstrated
131:5
PLANET DEPOS
133:21 determine 25:7, 25:10, 96:15
department's 95:8 29:1, 30:5, disarray
18:3, 93:18, determined 30:16, 30:21, 40:10
123:3 18:4, 92:8 31:5, 31:21, discipline
departmental determining 34:8, 34:9, 31:12, 56:8,
77:3 125:4 34:19, 35:10, 68:15
departments deterred 35:15, 38:15, disciplined
18:13, 118:18 23:4, 23:6 38:20, 39:1, 119:21
deputy detestable 39:2, 39:6, disclosed
13:1, 19:7, 15:3 39:11, 40:9, 100:6, 100:17,
19:10, 19:13, developed 40:12, 40:14, 113:6
36:4, 38:22, 127:13, 134:4 44:13, 44:14, disclosing
39:15, 45:12, development 44:20, 51:14, 112:1
52:12, 55:10, 55:21, 133:7 51:16, 53:2, disclosure
55:17, 59:15, dialogue 54:21, 55:1, 112:14
59:17, 67:10, 95:16, 139:18, 55:4, 55:7, disclosures
71:15, 71:22, 139:22 56:19, 57:2, 10:2
72:4, 76:11, dice 58:7, 58:11, discomfort
76:13, 90:8, 103:2 63:3, 63:15, 30:22
90:14, 120:22, different 66:8, 66:11, discovered
121:5, 123:7, 14:6, 21:22, 66:14, 69:7, 8:6
123:17, 125:3 22:1, 38:4, 70:4, 70:14, discredited
derogatory 47:11, 102:10 70:21, 71:4, 47:22
122:1, 123:12 difficult 71:7, 71:14, discrepancies
described 75:10, 76:12,
69:16 76:13, 76:16, 8:14
49:14, 58:20, digging discuss
94:17 76:18, 76:20,
65:21 77:1, 77:7, 17:18, 28:17,
description diplomatic 35:2, 53:1,
96:17 82:7, 90:17,
95:19 91:2, 94:11, 53:16, 54:4,
desert diplomats 63:8, 82:13,
132:21 119:13, 119:15,
97:18, 132:19 119:20, 120:2, 91:18, 131:7,
deserve direct 134:9, 134:12
12:1 120:6, 120:12,
59:14, 59:15, 120:19, 121:11, discussed
desk 61:22, 71:16, 20:1, 28:18,
44:21 121:13, 121:14,
90:16 121:18, 121:21, 53:11, 53:15,
despite directed 54:7, 68:4,
123:7, 123:15,
5:13, 8:6 50:22 123:18, 124:21, 68:15, 77:20,
detail direction 126:5, 126:11, 94:2, 100:11,
56:20, 59:8, 9:14, 83:13 126:18, 127:7, 112:12, 112:14,
138:21 directives 136:5, 138:22 127:9, 130:17,
detailed 123:8 director's 130:22, 132:3,
89:2, 89:7, directly 121:7, 124:8 132:6
113:15 13:13, 76:13, directs discussion
details 77:2, 86:14, 94:10 4:11, 7:10,
18:1, 45:4, 94:11 disadvantage 59:5, 80:17,
56:19 director 123:1 82:20, 125:9,
determinations 2:8, 4:9, 8:19, disagree 125:10, 127:8
104:17 9:13, 18:13, discussions
5:7, 46:3,
80:22, 88:7,
PLANET DEPOS
97:21, 97:22 dossier 82:10 125:10, 137:11
dismiss 47:16 E elections
70:4, 124:21 double each 2:16, 4:12,
dismissal 3:16, 72:3 96:1 11:7, 48:21,
35:15 doubt eager 88:19, 122:9,
dismissed 7:16, 24:7, 91:11 132:18
69:3 59:18 earlier electoral
dismissing down 69:4, 110:9, 130:19, 130:20
128:5 46:4, 46:20, 116:19 electrical
dispute 61:7, 74:6, early 134:8
83:4, 85:19 101:2, 105:9, 7:11, 17:16 else
disrupt 127:17, 139:20 earned 44:8, 44:20,
134:5, 134:8 dozen 21:14 45:10, 47:10,
disturbing 13:20, 24:20, ears 53:3, 71:5,
8:22, 134:13 79:13, 79:14, 2:10 71:9, 126:16
diverse 96:2 easier elsewhere
2:14 dramatic 54:18 63:17
dnc 15:11, 89:9, easy email
50:15 107:14 54:15 18:12, 29:17,
document dramatically effect 29:19, 30:5,
9:6 68:2 18:23, 29:9, 93:8, 93:10,
documentary drawing 46:22, 124:15 123:11
112:14 96:14 effecting emails
documentation drill 122:22 8:17, 30:7,
64:12, 64:13 46:4 effort 90:20, 105:4,
documents driving 111:3, 112:18,
2:21, 11:12, 121:9
8:16, 33:20, 132:21 12:21, 76:2
91:21, 92:2, drop embroiled
efforts 127:8
111:2, 111:18, 9:14 12:19
112:1, 139:11 drops egregious employed
doing 106:1 141:6
125:13 employee
10:22, 88:5, during eight
89:8, 98:10, 4:2, 7:20, 27:15, 31:6
105:6 employees
126:19 7:21, 8:8, either
doj 13:22, 14:4, 18:23, 19:6,
50:22, 67:21, 119:13
30:19, 73:11, 15:15, 17:2, 73:4, 81:11,
116:15, 116:22 17:4, 19:22, empowered
85:20
donald 38:14, 42:18, elected 121:19
105:2, 105:12 60:12, 80:3, 27:20
enables
done 92:15, 95:18, election 13:7
3:9, 28:5, 98:5, 101:1, encounter
101:8, 113:6, 1:8, 8:4, 13:4,
50:7, 98:11, 14:15, 17:12, 17:1, 26:19,
101:12, 104:18, 125:10, 132:9 26:22, 80:3
duties 46:12, 89:5,
130:8 89:8, 90:3, encounters
dont 60:3, 75:17 98:21, 103:11, 42:21
130:21 duty 107:7, 122:5, encourage
doors 13:10, 22:13, 122:18, 122:22, 12:21, 38:3
3:2 70:20, 82:8, encouraged
20:21
PLANET DEPOS
end espionage 90:5, 94:3, 88:15, 88:17,
11:20, 67:5, 106:19, 133:3 97:9, 98:8, 99:4, 99:13,
137:5, 137:11, essentially 98:21, 102:1, 118:15, 118:18,
140:6 51:13, 54:15, 106:14, 116:10, 136:17
enemies 59:2, 123:5, 134:18, 135:1 existing
22:5 123:6, 126:6 every 93:14, 97:20
enforce establish 9:6, 12:21, exit
22:4 4:19 22:7, 22:15, 50:10
enforcement estimated 23:2, 48:9, exits
9:12, 19:20, 22:19 92:5, 92:9 75:21
22:14, 55:3, ethics everybody expect
122:19 17:17, 64:15 71:20 7:4, 8:14,
engaged evaluated everyone 21:17
96:13 39:16 44:8, 44:20, expected
engagement evaluating 57:1 7:1
63:7 94:6 everything expelled
engaging evaluation 47:10, 92:5, 97:18
65:20 90:7, 90:9, 108:14, 130:7 experience
enlist 90:10, 90:11, evidence 9:3, 49:22,
10:18 90:12, 90:15, 46:22, 105:15, 55:5
enormous 90:18 126:12, 127:11, experienced
135:21 even 127:12 4:13, 58:11
ensure 11:5, 18:8, exact experts
3:3, 10:22, 39:22, 43:4, 81:21 95:12
21:20, 22:5, 50:2, 71:17, exactly expired
69:14 91:21, 125:13 46:14, 54:20, 110:9, 119:9,
ensuring event 83:3, 83:5, 135:6
2:11 13:17, 17:6, 126:19 explain
entire 24:14, 25:1, example 17:6, 17:10,
2:21 25:5, 25:16, 3:21, 55:3 29:1
entirely 25:21, 43:6, excellent explained
14:9 43:8, 43:10, 119:20 106:22
entitled 79:3, 79:6, except explicitly
64:4, 122:5, 95:4, 95:9, 30:16 52:21, 90:22,
122:18 95:22, 115:17 excerpt 130:3
episode events 122:17 explosive
5:1 11:9, 22:12, exchange 15:18
equal 25:13, 95:16, 15:14, 96:8, express
37:7, 95:21 139:15 139:22 6:6, 30:21
equally eventually excuse expressed
136:8 58:3 126:2 20:9, 45:1,
eric ever executive 52:10, 58:22,
91:19 11:2, 14:7, 37:1, 37:11, 72:9, 81:18,
error 16:18, 22:17, 37:13, 37:14, 90:8
87:19, 121:21 24:14, 30:21, 72:15, 72:17, extended
errors 32:9, 39:2, 73:8, 73:12, 95:21
91:1 53:1, 53:11, 84:12, 84:14, extends
especially 72:9, 88:9, 85:3, 86:6, 93:18
20:20, 139:15
PLANET DEPOS
extent fairly 63:9, 63:17, 45:16, 52:12,
109:16 21:20, 34:10, 66:8, 69:11, 58:6, 59:17,
extraordinarily 39:10 70:4, 71:6, 68:3, 70:4,
109:22 faith 76:13, 77:13, 77:17, 94:3,
extraordinary 107:1 77:18, 81:13, 126:20, 126:21
111:6 faithfully 82:7, 82:10, few
extremely 55:2 90:16, 91:2, 8:22, 84:11,
123:10, 123:13, fake 94:12, 105:17, 86:8, 101:13,
139:16 135:15 119:13, 119:15, 114:9, 129:13,
eyes fall 119:20, 121:18, 129:19, 139:1
2:10 68:2 123:15, 126:11, fiction
F false 132:18, 136:5, 3:19, 106:5
15:6, 15:8, 137:18 fifth
face fbi's
11:8 21:10, 22:10, 3:17
42:8, 47:2, 48:3 9:15, 63:4 files
facilitate fear
95:16 familiar 64:10
29:4, 105:20, 110:6 filtering
fact february
3:19, 8:6, 122:6, 122:11, 58:2
139:15 17:14, 17:21, final
18:16, 21:1, 28:16, 46:9,
22:11, 24:8, family 83:17, 136:14
78:17 56:18, 71:2, finally
29:9, 30:9, 108:6, 108:10
35:20, 38:22, fantastical 9:17, 11:15,
106:15 federal 19:22, 63:11,
39:21, 46:4, 22:13, 27:11,
46:20, 60:2, far 76:19, 83:14,
56:20, 61:5, 55:20, 70:17, 92:1, 102:8,
76:12, 83:20, 121:19, 123:4
115:14, 122:4, 91:3, 105:15 121:20
124:3, 126:20, fashion feel financial
135:3, 138:17 107:15 59:7, 128:4, 141:7
factor fast 139:7 find
111:7, 114:18 feeling 2:22, 5:10,
77:22, 99:19
factors faster 57:16 46:21, 61:8,
13:10, 125:4 22:17 feinstein 76:7, 110:7,
facts favor 51:6, 51:7, 137:2
135:19, 135:20 51:11, 51:18, finding
3:12, 4:20, 52:3, 52:15,
47:2, 82:17, fbi 137:7
4:9, 8:19, 9:3, 52:19, 53:1, fine
104:15 53:4, 53:7,
factual 9:22, 18:14, 22:7
19:5, 19:9, 53:10, 53:14, finish
35:3, 47:13 53:20, 54:1,
fail 20:12, 27:7, 21:7, 66:21
30:19, 31:5, 54:9, 54:12, finished
42:6 54:13, 54:20,
failure 34:19, 38:21, 57:22, 137:10
39:4, 39:5, 56:12, 56:14, fire
39:3 64:20
fair 40:2, 40:9, 51:16, 52:5,
40:11, 40:12, felt 52:16, 69:7,
16:7, 22:6, 9:5, 18:22,
48:11, 48:16, 53:2, 55:1, 70:14, 76:16,
55:6, 55:8, 28:3, 28:6, 83:19, 119:15,
48:22, 58:5, 29:13, 44:7,
96:17, 129:4 55:14, 55:21, 120:19
58:7, 59:15, 44:10, 45:11, fired
9:18, 66:10,
PLANET DEPOS
76:20, 127:3 100:22, 101:7 founded furst
fires follows 37:6 106:7
40:9 55:2 four further
firing forcefully 95:17 14:16, 16:11,
8:18, 8:22, 5:12 fourth 30:20, 100:3,
10:7, 35:15, forces 4:8 139:20
54:1, 66:8, 131:21 fox future
66:14, 67:17, foregoing 126:4, 126:10 5:1, 7:5, 35:3,
77:1, 77:2, 141:2 france 93:14
88:8, 92:21, foreign 11:9 G
136:5 4:4, 11:1, franken gain
firm 14:14, 16:14, 15:9, 16:1, 60:14
94:21 17:4, 23:22, 42:1, 47:20 game
first 25:19, 32:7, franken's 133:3
6:6, 9:2, 48:7, 49:8, 15:5 gangs
16:19, 23:21, 60:20, 61:15, frankly 22:22
25:19, 28:17, 79:5, 95:11, 19:16, 32:12, gather
32:21, 34:12, 95:15, 95:22, 99:10, 112:13 49:16, 107:12
43:19, 59:8, 103:15, 106:17, fraudsters gave
64:9, 67:18, 109:7, 128:14, 23:1
67:19, 76:7, 23:21, 33:15,
134:14 fresh 59:8, 79:5,
77:6, 94:1, form 40:2, 40:5,
108:17, 110:20, 130:7
18:5, 100:12 40:6, 55:13, general's
124:13, 126:3, formal 56:10, 68:5
126:4, 127:7 19:11, 93:16,
17:22, 18:11, friend 121:15
five 79:22, 116:9, 34:6, 97:9
23:14 generally
120:8 front 28:17, 46:15,
fix formally 6:9, 44:21,
133:19 46:17, 122:10
27:5 46:5, 95:18 generals
floor former frustration
12:14 92:6
4:16, 8:18, 72:9 georgia
flynn 9:15, 15:8, fulfill
9:16, 71:9, 109:20
45:11, 49:11, 22:12 getting
82:15, 101:17, 49:12, 63:3, fulfilling
109:5 66:8, 102:16, 92:21
78:4 give
focus 119:13, 123:7, full
5:2, 21:19 123:21, 126:5 65:14, 103:6
38:2, 62:12, given
focused formulated 74:1, 74:16,
5:8, 103:20, 66:18 17:2, 25:20,
78:4, 86:5 51:20, 63:15,
104:10 forward fullest
follow 4:10, 5:17, 66:9, 78:7
109:16 giving
10:1, 20:14, 12:3, 55:12, fully
30:20, 43:12, 137:9, 137:13 21:18, 73:15,
9:6, 10:10, 122:22
82:4, 97:4, forwarding 13:7, 35:6,
130:1 120:11, 121:1 glad
126:22 7:3, 34:1
following found functioned
20:5, 45:6, 68:4, 126:12, gladly
32:12 26:22
63:22, 93:11, 127:10, 132:18 fundamental
124:5
PLANET DEPOS
glass 21:18, 26:7, H 116:6, 116:10,
106:22 42:18, 48:20, hackers 116:14, 116:21,
go 49:8, 63:18, 134:7 117:4, 117:7,
16:11, 40:15, 97:8, 100:5, hacking 117:12, 117:16,
56:18, 60:7, 100:16, 103:19, 50:14, 89:2, 117:21, 118:8,
68:13, 70:1, 106:17, 133:8 97:12, 100:13, 118:9, 118:21,
71:9, 83:13, government's 105:3, 133:22 119:2, 119:7,
83:19, 86:18, 4:7 hand 119:10, 136:19
90:6, 91:22, governments 12:8, 48:19, harsh
99:8, 101:2, 48:9 72:20 39:10
103:5, 126:1, grabbing handle head
127:1, 139:5, 93:4 58:12 118:15
139:19 granted handling headed
god 24:22 9:18, 10:7, 50:10, 75:21
12:10 grateful 53:2, 68:8, heading
goes 104:17, 140:2 77:8, 90:19, 77:18
27:18, 117:2 gravity 121:7 heads
going 2:15, 3:10 hands 18:12, 137:4
12:2, 33:6, great 25:1, 25:3 healthy
35:2, 43:3, 23:5, 23:8, happen 31:11
44:11, 48:15, 55:6, 56:20, 48:18 hear
49:5, 52:5, 69:19, 71:20, happened 7:18, 10:14,
52:16, 65:21, 77:10, 96:19 15:9, 17:8, 10:22, 16:15,
70:1, 83:19, greatest 46:5, 56:7, 17:13, 46:1,
84:1, 90:11, 106:19 68:2, 81:10, 50:2, 62:15,
97:4, 97:17, grid 84:3, 105:19, 80:7, 135:21
99:14, 99:20, 134:8 109:2, 137:8 heard
100:14, 109:16, grids happens 9:13, 9:17,
119:20, 129:3, 134:5 10:11, 15:20,
135:3, 135:22, 30:8
grocery happy 50:7, 54:14,
137:9, 137:13 48:15 56:20, 79:15,
gone 20:3
ground harm 98:19, 105:6,
105:9, 132:20 133:3 106:15, 130:5
good 3:7
grounds harmonious hearing
5:18, 6:2, 43:7 2:1, 3:15,
33:4, 39:4, 115:13
group harris 7:21, 11:19,
45:13, 46:1, 25:3, 96:11 11:20, 15:6,
76:5, 78:12, 110:16, 110:17, 16:17, 62:12,
grown 111:10, 111:15,
78:13, 78:16, 133:4 64:2, 78:5,
91:8, 97:1, 111:19, 112:4, 92:10, 112:5,
guess 112:15, 112:21,
107:1, 119:19, 24:19, 42:4, 118:7, 138:8,
119:22, 125:4, 113:4, 113:12, 139:21, 140:4
43:19, 52:12, 113:16, 113:20,
134:15, 138:12 52:20, 61:4, hearings
gotten 114:4, 114:9,
83:17, 129:3 114:12, 114:16, 131:22
136:4 guests heart
government 114:19, 115:2,
95:8, 95:11, 115:4, 115:15, 3:5
8:3, 8:8, 96:2 heels
14:22, 15:17, 115:19, 116:2,
guidelines 6:3
45:7
PLANET DEPOS
heinrich highly 23:8 104:5
72:7, 72:8, 5:6 hope ideas
72:11, 72:14, hillary 6:17, 8:13, 100:13
72:19, 73:16, 68:9, 90:19, 8:14, 33:7, identification
73:21, 74:3, 126:7 38:6, 38:11, 27:20
74:6, 74:10, himself 104:14, 136:8 identify
74:21, 75:15, 9:19, 52:21, hoped 55:5, 133:19
75:18, 76:5, 58:12, 59:6, 71:9 identity
76:10, 78:9, 92:22, 93:13, hopeful 109:9
124:14 125:5, 125:12 3:22, 5:2 ignatius
held hindsight host 106:8
3:15, 16:22, 60:13, 60:15, 64:5, 95:4, ignored
109:21, 112:2, 61:11 95:5 121:21
121:17, 123:9 historic hostile illegal
help 56:5, 63:22, 134:14 48:22, 51:1,
8:13, 12:10 68:18 hostility 76:2
helped historically 115:13 illusion
7:15, 139:2, 38:9 hotel 107:20
140:1 history 8:12, 13:16, imagine
helpful 92:6, 106:19 14:7, 23:21, 130:7, 130:12
99:21, 139:12, hit 41:1, 42:21, immediately
139:16 47:20 79:4, 80:22 15:21, 26:18,
here hoax hours 29:17
6:11, 12:2, 67:4 15:10, 78:3 impact
13:4, 32:20, hold house 103:11, 137:19
46:19, 47:1, 76:18, 92:2, 6:9, 19:12, impactful
48:6, 48:10, 121:22, 131:22 20:10, 20:15, 84:1
49:4, 53:11, holder 20:19, 21:4, impartially
56:17, 56:19, 91:19 31:7, 36:18, 34:11
72:20, 73:6, holding 37:17, 50:21, impede
75:5, 78:12, 62:12 51:12, 57:5, 76:3
78:16, 79:1, holistic 59:21, 60:3, impeding
84:9, 84:14, 102:17 82:3, 91:20, 73:2
96:22, 99:6, holt 139:6 important
103:5, 107:19, 70:2, 76:21 however 7:7, 8:15,
133:21, 136:1, home 19:3, 96:11 12:19, 20:21,
138:6 21:15 hundreds 22:9, 46:1,
here's homeland 106:18 60:22, 77:22,
109:3 4:16, 97:16 hunt 125:4, 131:5,
hereby homes 135:14 131:14, 135:1
141:1 23:4 hurt importantly
hesitation honest 14:22 10:21, 18:18,
49:10 4:10, 21:17, hypotheticals 22:3, 139:17
high 64:19, 65:17, 35:2, 70:8 impression
31:8, 36:17 65:18, 114:16 I 43:22, 44:9,
highest honestly 44:12
21:14
idea
15:5 35:11, 93:3, improper
highlighting honor 17:8, 32:2,
30:14 15:1, 21:9,
PLANET DEPOS
41:16, 45:5, indicated innuendos 30:2, 30:13,
45:16, 48:18, 7:7, 30:6, 22:10 63:4
48:22, 50:9, 56:8, 81:20, inquiries interest
50:19, 54:19, 87:17, 136:17, 74:12, 93:19 95:3, 95:6,
76:2, 82:18, 136:19 inquisitive 95:13, 95:21,
83:12, 83:13, indiscriminate 98:9 132:1, 141:7
118:17 130:14 insight interested
improperly individual 60:14 25:18
82:13, 107:19 55:6 insights interesting
improve individuals 7:16 25:22
21:21 4:15, 36:15, instance interests
in-camera 80:22, 100:22, 10:4 115:7, 133:14,
99:14 101:7, 102:4, instead 133:15, 135:20
inappropriate 116:19, 136:10, 6:11 interfere
62:18, 74:14 139:14 institution 19:4, 122:9,
inattention influence 140:3 135:19
133:2 60:14, 76:3, institutions interfered
inaugurated 107:6 62:21 88:19, 135:18
98:6 influenced instruct interference
inauguration 89:3 18:14, 94:12 2:16, 3:17,
89:8 inform integrity 4:12, 12:19,
inch 18:14, 30:18, 15:2, 71:20, 12:20, 13:3,
130:7 63:15 119:21 14:10, 14:15,
include information intelligence 17:12, 46:2,
4:15, 26:21 15:15, 16:21, 1:7, 2:12, 3:5, 130:19, 130:20
included 18:2, 18:3, 4:18, 5:15, intermediaries
13:20, 15:11, 29:10, 32:4, 10:19, 11:6, 15:16
95:9, 96:2 47:9, 47:13, 15:12, 15:13, internally
including 47:14, 50:16, 46:21, 48:7, 29:18, 62:3
17:17, 18:13, 52:13, 63:14, 60:9, 88:21, intervened
19:5, 50:21, 71:8, 83:21, 89:6, 89:15, 11:6
123:12, 130:15, 89:3, 89:9, 89:19, 103:17, intervention
132:11 101:12, 101:16, 107:17, 110:3 135:13
inconsistent 104:5, 107:22, intelligent interview
69:8, 123:2 109:3, 122:1, 86:6, 133:1 4:16, 70:2,
incorrect 123:12 intend 76:21
81:20, 110:11 infrastructure 22:6 interviewed
increase 133:6, 134:6 intended 14:5, 47:9
22:21 inherently 26:21, 51:14 interviewing
increasing 96:5 intentionally 4:13
134:18 inkling 42:8, 88:5 intimidate
indeed 128:10, 128:22 interaction 22:11
20:22, 48:14, innate 6:21, 9:6, intramural
78:20, 102:19 102:10 14:3, 60:12, 138:9
independence innuendo 61:10, 96:6 invasion
9:22 65:13, 65:17, interactions 129:20
indicate 65:21, 107:16, 4:5, 7:20, 8:7, investigate
133:3 109:12 8:21, 26:7, 2:17, 12:19,
PLANET DEPOS
13:2 31:8, 53:3, involving 109:11
investigating 67:2, 68:17, 68:8, 69:18, job
2:19, 109:15 68:19, 69:12, 128:2 1:20, 34:22,
investigation 75:5, 93:14, ise 123:15, 128:15
2:15, 3:11, 93:17, 93:20, 2:21 john
4:7, 5:3, 5:6, 110:6 issue 25:11, 106:5
6:1, 7:1, 7:8, investigative 5:7, 5:15, johnson
9:15, 9:19, 18:1, 55:22, 8:17, 19:11, 4:17, 97:16
10:6, 10:8, 77:13, 110:3, 28:17, 29:12, joined
10:20, 11:18, 122:21 58:21, 62:2, 25:12
14:10, 17:11, investigator 85:19, 113:3, joining
18:2, 18:7, 36:8 124:14, 135:3 84:7
18:10, 19:17, investigators issued journalist
21:8, 27:6, 64:11 95:7 60:11
27:15, 27:18, investment issues journalists
27:22, 28:4, 80:15 3:21, 13:4, 95:12
28:12, 31:17, invitation 13:13, 19:9, judgment
31:18, 32:4, 95:8 33:10, 64:6, 4:21, 55:13,
34:10, 35:4, invitations 70:9, 74:2, 64:5, 71:21,
35:18, 35:22, 95:7 76:12, 76:14, 74:13, 119:22,
36:15, 38:13, invite 130:3, 131:4, 121:10
38:15, 38:16, 95:6, 95:14 131:8, 131:10, judgments
40:7, 45:10, invited 131:14, 131:18, 3:13
52:18, 63:6, 95:13, 95:22 131:20, 131:22, judiciary
63:7, 63:11, invoke 134:1, 134:12 6:16, 17:6,
63:20, 66:11, 72:17, 84:12 itself 17:15, 33:9,
68:8, 68:12, invoked 45:3, 125:7 69:13
69:2, 71:3, 74:19, 84:13 J july
73:2, 74:20, invoking 17:1, 26:4,
74:22, 75:1, james
72:14, 73:7, 88:8, 94:11, 121:15, 123:9,
75:6, 75:7, 73:12 126:2, 126:18
75:8, 76:17, 106:12
involve january june
76:21, 88:9, 18:15, 29:14, 141:15
94:5, 99:16, 7:21, 98:6,
99:19, 102:18,
94:5, 94:15 108:18, 115:7 justice
involved jared 2:7, 9:3, 13:9,
105:13, 105:16,
105:17, 120:7, 18:20, 24:15, 41:4 18:21, 19:5,
120:14, 120:18, 27:17, 36:13, jason 19:19, 20:13,
121:8, 122:3, 36:15, 50:4, 106:6, 106:9, 21:2, 22:6,
126:10, 126:14, 54:21, 58:7, 106:11 22:8, 27:7,
126:15, 127:8, 61:17, 61:18, jeff 27:12, 27:13,
127:16, 128:6, 69:10, 104:4, 1:9, 96:10 28:7, 28:8,
129:1, 136:6, 127:7 jeh 29:7, 31:6,
137:19, 138:18, involvement 4:16, 97:16 31:10, 36:12,
139:20 4:4, 27:6, jewish 37:3, 37:16,
investigations 61:22, 104:11, 25:21 38:1, 38:3,
129:11 jim 45:7, 54:11,
1:8, 19:1, 55:21, 58:12,
19:21, 20:20, involves 93:9, 105:11,
105:22 59:15, 64:1,
PLANET DEPOS
68:10, 69:11, 88:7, 88:14, 107:5, 107:10, 108:18, 109:9,
69:20, 71:10, 88:18, 88:22, 108:8, 108:16, 126:21, 129:13,
71:11, 71:17, 89:5, 89:12, 109:2, 109:22, 135:10, 136:16,
73:20, 74:7, 89:15, 89:22, 111:22, 126:11, 137:3, 137:6,
77:12, 82:3, 90:6, 90:12, 133:6, 137:12 138:2
82:9, 109:14, 90:18, 91:5, knowing late
112:2, 118:13, 97:5 43:3, 43:4, 126:9
121:20, 122:5, kislyak 117:8, 130:11 later
122:7, 123:8, 16:22, 24:3, knowledge 7:2, 8:1, 8:7,
123:16, 123:19, 24:11, 26:4, 14:16, 18:6, 52:4
127:7, 127:16, 41:9, 41:13, 32:9, 36:12, latest
133:7, 133:21 42:13, 79:19, 75:3, 100:22, 92:20, 93:3
justified 95:13, 96:7, 101:7, 102:10, latter
32:3, 125:6, 96:10, 109:5, 105:7, 113:13, 95:10
126:22 129:15, 130:6, 113:17 law
K 131:2 known 9:12, 19:19,
kansas knew 34:18, 42:13, 22:14, 55:3,
132:22 21:5, 29:2, 50:9, 69:22, 109:17, 112:9,
keep 34:19, 45:12, 75:19, 97:7 122:19
2:13, 3:6, 57:14, 58:10, knows lawfully
65:21, 111:7, 59:13, 68:1, 71:21 2:12
111:8, 111:13 117:17, 138:7 kremlin laws
kept know 133:5 22:4, 50:17
21:20 6:10, 10:5, kushner lawyer
key 10:17, 12:1, 41:4, 41:8 112:8
7:16, 7:17 13:1, 21:22, L lawyers
kind 28:11, 30:6, lack 71:11, 111:22,
40:8, 40:13, 33:8, 34:13, 112:7
35:4, 40:14, 40:10, 56:8
49:6, 56:18, lankford lax
58:17, 61:7, 43:14, 46:4, 31:15
46:9, 47:12, 91:6, 91:7,
62:21, 82:17, 91:11, 94:7, lay
83:7, 107:16, 47:22, 50:13, 4:20, 90:22,
51:15, 51:21, 94:18, 95:1,
127:18 96:19 104:15
kinds 54:6, 54:9, le
54:11, 57:21, large
31:13, 70:8, 2:14 106:6
58:8, 58:15, lead
133:12 59:19, 60:5, largest
king 22:21 5:6, 5:15,
61:18, 62:1, 38:21, 55:6
84:5, 84:6, 62:19, 63:16, last
84:9, 84:11, 64:8, 67:22, 2:9, 6:4, 8:19, leader
84:17, 84:19, 77:10, 78:13, 10:11, 11:19, 11:12, 28:7
84:21, 85:2, 78:17, 83:1, 22:16, 22:18, leaders
85:10, 86:2, 88:22, 99:3, 32:7, 44:7, 10:18, 109:6
86:8, 86:14, 99:4, 99:6, 46:19, 57:18, leadership
86:17, 86:20, 99:11, 99:17, 57:20, 58:4, 2:6, 19:8,
87:3, 87:6, 100:1, 100:18, 61:14, 63:3, 19:19, 69:21,
87:9, 87:12, 102:7, 103:19, 71:12, 78:2, 71:6, 135:2
87:20, 88:2, 104:3, 104:6, 105:11, 107:13, leading
136:5
PLANET DEPOS
leahy 40:15, 90:6, 95:8, 101:3, 125:12
8:1 109:1, 121:4 109:3 loop
leak letter listen 56:19
109:8, 109:11 19:9, 42:7, 98:14 lord
leaked 51:15, 52:11, litigate 13:7
65:13, 66:5, 54:22, 55:17, 137:7 lot
110:7 66:13, 66:17, little 10:1, 30:8,
leaking 67:3, 67:9, 40:4, 40:7, 60:20, 71:10,
31:14, 68:16, 67:10, 90:6, 64:13, 80:16, 77:6, 91:4,
110:4 119:13, 120:5, 97:5, 100:3, 99:7, 99:22,
leaks 120:10, 120:22 105:21, 108:12, 104:6, 108:3,
22:10, 109:2, level 130:1, 134:9, 114:6
109:12, 109:22 44:13 139:20 lots
learned levels live 105:9
51:13, 64:11, 31:9 23:3 luther
127:19 lewandowski lived 138:8, 138:11
least 102:2 5:16 lying
13:20, 14:20, lie lives 114:14
17:16, 40:8, 9:10, 15:3 21:21 lynch
40:14, 63:11, life lobbyists 124:1
67:9, 107:9, 26:9, 97:10, 132:11 M
136:9 134:19 local made
leave lifetime 22:14 5:11, 11:21,
10:12, 30:16, 97:7 long 19:14, 19:15,
44:8, 57:2, light 45:11, 54:10, 26:20, 29:16,
57:18, 57:20, 8:17, 137:2, 58:11, 68:1, 38:19, 51:19,
58:4, 58:15 138:3 68:17, 82:4, 52:7, 53:18,
left likelihood 92:6, 108:12, 53:19, 61:18,
14:7, 44:9, 29:3 119:14 64:18, 65:19,
45:2, 58:3, likely longer 73:11, 88:6,
58:9, 81:7 50:17 15:7 91:1, 94:3,
legal likewise longstanding 96:18, 97:16,
28:10, 63:1, 43:6 13:9, 37:3, 98:1, 107:20,
73:3, 73:10, limited 73:11, 73:19, 124:19, 126:3,
74:11, 85:4, 11:9, 18:3, 82:2, 116:15, 126:9, 128:20,
85:13 63:14, 96:7, 117:2, 121:22, 136:1, 136:15,
legally 108:3 124:14, 136:20 138:8, 138:18,
112:22 limiting longtime 140:3
legislation 20:19, 30:20 54:13 main
133:17 limits look 24:20, 26:2
legislative 62:17 4:10, 5:1, maintain
25:6, 25:9 line 12:3, 60:13, 111:16
length 96:3 60:15, 127:5, maintained
30:12, 55:11, lingered 137:1 93:20, 94:1
56:2, 80:16 44:9, 57:13 looked major
lester lingering 78:15 25:19, 25:20,
70:2, 76:21 57:15 looking 58:10
let's list 54:22, 106:22,
7:9, 7:10, 16:12, 17:3,
PLANET DEPOS
majority 28:2, 31:22, 138:15 79:19, 79:22,
118:2 68:3, 69:4, mccabe 80:7, 81:5,
make 79:10, 84:1, 76:13 81:22, 82:15,
3:13, 4:21, 135:12 mccain 83:16, 95:2,
7:5, 18:5, 26:1, map 129:12, 129:13, 98:4, 102:4,
26:13, 29:19, 133:5 130:1, 130:11, 107:3, 108:5,
32:22, 69:16, march 130:18, 131:1, 108:17, 108:19,
69:21, 74:1, 7:11, 8:9, 131:9, 131:12, 109:10, 130:4,
74:17, 77:19, 16:16, 17:22, 131:13, 131:19, 132:4, 138:15,
90:13, 91:20, 26:18, 27:4, 132:7, 132:9, 139:1
104:16, 112:3, 69:8, 93:9, 132:17, 133:11, meetings
112:15, 116:9, 93:21, 120:7, 133:20, 134:3, 4:1, 8:9, 9:11,
124:1 122:18 134:17, 135:11 13:14, 13:16,
makes marshals mccostlin 16:14, 17:4,
114:18 69:19 1:22, 141:1, 17:7, 17:9,
making mary 141:14 26:4, 26:17,
50:2, 61:19, 78:13, 140:2 mean 28:18, 30:15,
122:7, 132:4, massively 37:10, 70:16, 31:2, 31:22,
137:9 11:6, 135:18 79:19, 80:8, 32:13, 33:19,
man materials 83:21, 106:22, 79:7, 80:21,
71:20, 71:21, 23:17 111:20, 131:17 83:8, 93:11,
91:11 matter meaningful 98:1, 98:8,
manafort 11:14, 23:2, 96:13 100:4, 100:5,
101:3, 101:10 29:9, 48:21, meant 100:11, 100:15,
manage 50:14 94:22, 123:17 109:7, 129:15,
19:18 matters measures 129:16, 129:19,
manchester 13:2, 18:16, 46:2, 47:8, 130:2, 131:1
109:8 63:19, 65:5, 90:2 member
manchin 65:17, 82:13, media 2:6, 12:16,
96:20, 96:21, 90:22, 93:14, 9:20, 14:6, 23:7, 129:17,
97:3, 97:4, 94:2, 94:17, 49:5, 64:14, 131:3, 131:6,
98:5, 98:15, 110:4 93:19 131:15, 132:13,
98:18, 99:2, matthews meet 133:15, 135:17
99:3, 99:12, 106:6 32:9, 100:22, members
99:21, 100:9, maybe 101:8, 107:4, 2:10, 5:2,
100:14, 100:21, 25:21, 32:11, 111:7, 132:6 5:13, 6:15,
101:6, 101:14, 42:2, 50:12, meeting 23:12, 23:14,
101:17, 101:19, 75:22, 81:12, 8:11, 14:1, 23:15, 32:14,
101:21, 102:2, 83:2, 98:14, 16:21, 20:2, 33:5, 33:8,
102:6, 102:8, 100:2, 105:11, 24:11, 26:20, 64:20, 78:7,
102:14, 102:16, 105:13 26:22, 28:17, 94:12, 103:18,
102:20, 103:1, mayflower 30:15, 30:17, 104:6, 118:16,
103:5, 103:13, 8:11, 13:16, 31:20, 40:16, 136:8, 136:16
103:21, 104:8 23:21, 27:2, 40:20, 41:4, memo
manipulating 41:1, 42:21, 41:13, 42:5, 38:22, 120:4,
100:11 43:9, 43:10, 42:17, 44:12, 120:11, 121:6,
many 43:16, 79:4, 44:15, 56:21, 122:17
6:14, 16:14, 80:22, 105:19, 57:1, 64:2, memoranda
33:21, 122:12
PLANET DEPOS
memorandum 107:18, 122:8, 51:22, 58:20, 92:21
19:11, 19:15, 139:14, 139:19 59:6, 66:7, mueller's
39:15, 52:11, mike 80:8, 91:3, 34:10, 35:15,
55:11, 67:9, 9:16 99:10, 104:7, 38:16
77:21, 89:6, military 115:12, 125:13, multiple
90:15, 94:9, 97:8 133:4, 133:11, 33:6, 48:10,
116:8, 120:21, miller 133:22, 135:1, 105:14
125:3 101:21 139:17 mum
memory mind morning 68:18
41:12, 41:20, 52:21, 56:11, 20:5, 81:11, murder
42:1, 91:18, 79:1, 137:17 81:12, 92:11 22:20
111:2, 113:15 mine moscow's must
men 55:10 133:3 11:10, 11:12,
55:6, 55:8 minister most 55:1, 55:4
mention 109:7, 128:14 3:3, 4:17, myself
82:15, 82:17, minutes 10:21, 48:11, 17:20, 18:18,
121:1 23:14, 23:19, 77:12, 85:16, 21:7, 21:9,
mentioned 84:11, 86:8, 95:11, 111:13, 21:13, 23:18,
2:8, 25:4, 109:10 112:5, 116:17, 28:4, 28:6,
32:19, 82:16 mislead 125:7, 135:17, 28:22, 29:9,
message 128:4 138:7 29:13, 29:15,
26:1 mismanagement mostly 30:7, 35:7,
met 77:3 64:13 64:9, 64:19,
14:13, 16:9, missed move 72:3, 94:4, 94:5
16:18, 17:16, 103:14 5:16, 7:9, N
32:10, 32:15, missing 115:13 name
60:19, 64:11, 103:22, 104:2, moved 18:13, 30:8,
79:20, 80:8, 132:20 96:3 30:10, 139:1
80:10, 80:11, mission movements named
107:1, 130:4 23:6, 123:3 133:2 7:12, 40:18
methods mistaken moves names
3:3, 3:4 121:11 82:8 64:11
mexican mistrust movies nation
109:6 108:20 106:12 4:22, 22:4
michael mistrusted moving nation's
71:9, 101:17 108:17 111:7 2:20, 9:12
middle moment much national
132:18 6:5, 60:8, 5:11, 7:13, 7:13, 7:15,
midst 115:3 7:15, 12:16, 9:15, 40:19,
38:14, 40:6 months 51:7, 51:22, 81:13, 95:3,
might 33:1, 69:4, 56:14, 62:10, 95:6, 95:12,
3:13, 5:14, 90:11, 101:13, 68:16, 82:5, 95:21, 98:15,
5:20, 9:10, 105:5, 105:16, 104:10, 111:5, 98:16, 109:13,
17:19, 30:22, 120:13 124:11, 124:18 133:15, 134:19
35:2, 35:15, more mueller nationals
72:3, 80:10, 3:1, 3:15, 30:3, 34:8, 113:22, 114:3,
83:11, 89:17, 4:14, 7:14, 34:18, 34:20, 114:21
89:20, 107:17, 47:7, 47:22, 35:10, 36:8,
PLANET DEPOS
nations 127:9, 127:16, 35:4, 41:16, occurred
133:12, 133:14 138:17 41:19, 48:18, 14:3, 27:1,
nature new 72:22, 88:22, 27:3, 28:15,
9:10, 54:4, 15:11, 22:18, 95:19, 107:11, 41:17, 50:18,
111:6 46:9, 47:3, 111:14 57:22, 62:5,
nbc 119:20, 126:12, notice 88:12, 89:2
52:3, 70:2 127:10, 127:12 30:7 occurrences
nearly news notifying 48:10
121:10 14:6, 15:19, 29:18 october
necessary 52:4, 126:4, notoriety 89:7, 97:14,
2:13, 3:2, 7:6, 126:9, 126:11, 42:15 126:9, 126:22,
18:4, 63:14, 135:15 november 128:2
83:22, 86:7 next 126:8, 126:18 offer
need 17:15, 22:19, nsa's 26:16
3:11, 8:16, 45:1, 58:21, 2:20 office
10:14, 31:15, 81:6, 81:11, nuclear 10:12, 16:22,
44:6, 46:4, 107:5 131:18 26:6, 26:20,
52:8, 63:16, night number 56:21, 59:20,
68:13, 91:17, 78:2, 81:8 3:20, 49:20, 64:10, 81:8,
114:14, 133:10, nightly 55:17, 58:1, 94:14, 94:16,
136:19, 137:2, 52:4 73:7, 90:21, 125:6, 128:13
139:19 nobody 137:22 officers
needed 93:2, 103:3, nut 22:14, 48:8,
20:13, 30:19, 107:22 128:15 122:19
31:11, 31:12, non-meeting O offices
57:14, 57:16, 95:2 oath 30:8
58:6 none 8:20, 12:7, official
needs 65:9, 100:11 72:20, 126:14 17:18, 27:20,
33:1 nonetheless obama 32:3, 60:3,
neither 47:5 32:2, 59:6, 60:10, 61:6,
76:10, 141:5 normal 71:19, 97:18 129:16
nervous 61:3, 83:8, obligation officials
114:18 122:9 5:16, 60:4, 4:1, 7:20, 8:8,
never normally 75:4, 112:22 9:12, 11:16,
12:21, 14:13, 56:4 observe 13:15, 14:2,
17:22, 24:10, note 25:22 14:14, 16:14,
26:21, 29:10, 23:12, 31:20, obstructing 16:18, 17:17,
31:18, 32:11, 94:9, 110:12 18:4, 26:7,
75:7 31:8, 36:13,
32:15, 39:11, noted obtaining
44:14, 58:15, 39:16 36:18, 37:17,
50:15 42:17, 55:3,
61:2, 61:10, notes obviously
62:4, 64:10, 41:20, 79:1, 60:20, 85:16,
64:11, 64:12, 28:9, 44:11, 85:17, 93:12,
111:3, 111:7, 69:4
83:20, 89:1, 111:8, 111:11, 94:14, 94:16,
89:9, 89:12, occasions 100:5, 100:16,
111:13, 111:16, 49:21, 96:9
91:16, 92:16, 112:17 101:1, 101:8,
92:17, 97:7, occur 102:5, 113:5,
nothing 16:11
121:19, 122:20, 12:9, 31:4, 114:20, 114:21,
PLANET DEPOS
115:5, 115:6, one-on-one 14:2, 16:14, 97:10, 104:15,
138:20 10:13, 71:1 24:18, 26:3, 129:7, 136:10,
often ones 26:7, 28:18, 137:2, 137:7,
3:1, 60:10, 57:18, 57:20 31:14, 33:3, 139:13
99:17 ongoing 33:8, 37:16, outcome
ohio 18:7, 19:8, 41:22, 42:16, 73:5, 141:8
17:2 20:20, 31:8, 42:17, 48:8, outlined
okay 32:4, 68:19, 48:19, 48:20, 8:20
25:4, 30:11, 69:1, 99:16, 49:8, 56:7, outset
32:17, 41:11, 126:15, 133:18, 63:19, 69:14, 6:5, 6:19
43:17, 50:6, 137:12 74:18, 74:20, outside
54:20, 57:12, only 78:14, 80:11, 71:5, 132:12
66:7, 102:14, 4:22, 16:16, 85:8, 85:21, oval
103:2, 113:16, 18:3, 22:12, 90:22, 94:13, 10:12, 56:21,
114:12, 125:19, 25:20, 40:21, 94:15, 95:10, 59:20, 81:8,
125:22, 138:4 63:14, 80:4, 95:14, 95:15, 128:13
ominously 85:12, 88:5, 100:5, 100:9, over
107:15 93:1, 93:17, 100:15, 100:16, 9:18, 10:7,
once 113:12, 128:13, 105:9, 106:18, 21:15, 22:20,
127:7, 127:17 137:5, 139:5 114:19, 122:8, 26:7, 28:19,
one ooo 123:11, 131:19, 29:12, 33:6,
3:22, 9:11, 140:7 133:8, 133:12, 33:7, 34:18,
17:8, 23:2, open 133:13, 136:21, 42:2, 91:21,
25:20, 26:4, 3:15, 23:16, 138:19 93:12, 101:5,
26:6, 28:11, 62:12, 99:7, others 126:14, 127:10,
30:7, 32:6, 106:18, 134:9 10:5, 24:2, 127:12, 129:13
38:18, 39:17, opening 38:13, 54:6, overdose
42:1, 42:21, 32:19, 91:13 85:16, 93:9, 22:16, 22:19
43:12, 44:5, operating 96:14, 124:14, oversee
47:6, 48:14, 2:12 136:20 19:4
57:18, 57:19, opinion otherwise own
58:4, 66:7, 51:20, 52:10, 80:17, 94:15, 3:13, 4:21,
67:21, 69:10, 86:10, 86:21, 107:18, 132:1, 7:20, 31:21,
69:18, 71:5, 87:7, 87:9, 141:8 104:16, 130:14,
74:18, 74:19, 87:11, 112:3, ought 135:20
77:20, 80:14, 134:16 42:3, 84:2 P
82:7, 90:14, opportunity out
90:15, 93:1, 4:21, 9:1, page
3:19, 5:4, 102:6, 102:12,
93:7, 94:10, 10:3, 13:6, 27:12, 29:17,
96:12, 99:15, 30:5, 40:8, 110:20
74:1, 74:16, pages
105:8, 107:12, 78:8, 107:9 46:5, 46:13,
109:19, 118:12, 47:1, 49:5, 1:21, 47:9,
order 110:20
118:16, 130:2, 2:2, 10:1, 50:16, 55:11,
130:7, 133:3, 58:2, 60:21, paper
110:2, 134:18 89:1
135:19, 137:16, originally 61:8, 65:13,
138:18 66:5, 70:13, parameters
6:8 112:13
one-on other 79:16, 83:17,
82:6 91:1, 94:4, pardon
2:10, 11:1, 38:14
PLANET DEPOS
pardons penetrating persons 56:22, 60:11,
36:14, 37:17, 133:14 31:7, 99:17, 60:21, 65:20,
37:21 penetrations 110:3 66:12, 85:19,
part 134:22 perspective 85:20, 85:22,
7:1, 8:3, 15:7, people 102:17 86:7, 101:1,
15:21, 27:12, 2:11, 3:12, perspectives 101:8, 110:10,
44:1, 68:11, 4:21, 5:10, 127:6 112:18, 124:13,
69:20, 89:18, 12:1, 13:20, phone 124:19, 136:14
98:16, 103:13, 21:17, 21:19, 31:2, 109:5 points
103:21, 104:2, 21:22, 24:21, photos 9:1, 19:14
106:3 32:11, 38:3, 109:9 policies
participate 43:19, 46:6, place 20:14, 45:13,
18:23, 27:15, 49:4, 58:2, 2:14, 21:4, 56:1, 56:4,
27:22, 61:21, 60:20, 62:13, 33:19, 44:13, 64:1, 68:13,
107:10 62:14, 65:16, 44:15, 44:18, 73:21, 74:4,
participated 67:22, 68:3, 76:7, 92:13, 82:2, 127:19
10:6, 14:21, 70:18, 79:1, 120:9 policy
48:1, 49:6, 79:11, 79:14, places 4:4, 23:22,
49:14 79:16, 83:18, 78:14 25:19, 32:8,
participating 91:4, 94:10, plainly 33:5, 37:3,
77:1 104:16, 106:18, 91:13 61:15, 68:19,
participation 110:7, 111:8, platform 73:19, 79:5,
50:1 114:7, 116:18 61:15, 61:21, 95:11, 116:15,
particular peppered 62:5, 110:10, 116:22, 117:2,
80:14 92:14, 92:19 110:11 117:4, 117:11,
particularly percent play 117:14, 117:22,
103:16, 131:10, 22:20, 90:19 4:8 118:1, 119:7,
135:10 perform player 119:8, 122:4,
parties 39:3 138:12 134:14
4:14, 9:4, performance pleasantries polite
141:7 21:16, 38:20, 96:8 96:8
partisan 39:16, 55:8, please political
5:5 76:12, 76:14, 2:2, 12:8, 5:4, 5:7, 5:12,
party 125:9 12:12, 16:15, 27:16, 27:18,
123:2, 135:19 perhaps 17:12, 111:19, 123:2
pass 44:9, 58:6, 118:9, 124:16 politico
66:22 64:8, 83:3, pleased 132:17
passes 108:13 29:22 politics
67:6, 106:1 person plotline 5:17
passing 25:18, 27:17, 106:15 pop
14:3 28:20, 50:15, plotting 42:1
past 50:20, 72:2, 107:6 portrayal
11:15, 93:12 84:3, 109:20, plus 96:15
pattern 119:20 31:13 pose
11:16 personal podium 60:10
paul 27:16, 35:14, 113:11 posed
101:3, 101:10 75:2 point 16:19
peculiar personnel 14:9, 17:21, position
40:8 63:9 29:14, 69:17,
PLANET DEPOS
94:21 preserve private procedures
possession 60:4 13:14, 24:14, 136:21
4:18 preserving 30:17, 31:20, proceeding
possibility 9:22 50:15, 54:5, 6:1
36:14, 115:11 president's 59:1, 59:2, proceedings
possible 10:15, 37:13, 59:4, 72:12, 141:3
4:5, 6:18, 41:3, 44:21, 74:15, 79:6, process
8:11, 100:2, 72:17, 73:14, 91:16, 96:5, 6:6, 7:2, 10:3,
136:11 85:18 96:13, 108:5, 11:2, 15:2,
possibly president-elect 139:1 21:12, 36:2,
29:13, 42:5, 15:13, 115:21, privilege 91:2, 98:21,
79:18, 79:20 116:4 37:1, 37:11, 104:15, 128:21,
post presidential 37:13, 37:14, 130:19
134:3 36:14, 79:5 72:15, 72:17, processes
potential presidents 73:8, 73:12, 12:20, 130:20
37:17, 109:1, 9:4 84:12, 84:14, professional
137:9 press 85:4, 85:21, 5:9, 64:15,
power 3:21, 17:19, 86:2, 86:6, 126:21
37:14, 85:3, 24:1, 42:14, 86:16, 87:22, professionals
103:16, 134:5 121:16, 122:1, 88:15, 88:17, 22:8, 77:12
powers 123:9 99:13, 118:19, program
37:7, 124:5 pressure 136:18 2:20, 2:21
pre-speech 59:18, 128:14 privileged progress
13:22 pressured 62:16, 112:11 5:11
preclude 59:17 privileges prohibit
129:10 presumably 37:22, 74:18, 82:6
predictable 131:3 85:8, 99:4, prohibition
112:6 pretty 118:16 59:4, 122:7
prefaced 47:21, 68:2, probably promised
110:18 77:15, 124:4, 29:4, 29:6, 17:15
premature 125:6 29:7, 35:17, proper
86:1, 86:5 previously 40:2, 45:13, 20:9, 21:2,
premise 4:19, 100:6, 46:9, 60:6, 45:6, 45:11,
128:1 100:17, 129:14 78:13, 81:6, 64:19, 68:13,
prepared priebus 120:1, 127:11, 77:9, 94:21,
39:15, 63:13, 101:19 127:14 112:1
112:4, 137:13 principal problem properly
prerogative 27:21, 28:20 29:11, 52:17, 31:9, 69:15
72:18 principle 58:10, 126:7 prosecute
presence 110:2, 117:15, problematic 77:14, 109:16,
30:14 117:17, 118:11, 31:6, 38:17, 123:14
present 118:14, 121:22, 45:3, 63:8, prosecuting
129:10 65:6, 66:2, 127:19
14:9, 96:14 66:3, 99:17
presentations principles prosecution
55:2, 123:3 problems 27:16, 55:19,
116:9 39:17, 40:10,
presented prior 55:22, 56:3,
13:17, 32:5, 55:13 123:4
3:12, 19:6, procedure
64:14, 112:6 63:5, 96:1, 98:6 prosecutor
112:1 123:14, 126:5,
PLANET DEPOS
126:21 publicly 77:6, 78:6, rack
prosecutors 12:17, 19:12, 87:18, 88:9, 61:13
55:20, 68:10, 68:17, 107:10, 98:14, 102:9, racked
121:19, 122:20, 127:10 103:7, 104:21, 26:13, 100:7
123:16, 123:19 published 105:1, 105:8, raise
protect 46:10, 102:12 105:10, 110:22, 12:7, 33:10,
11:11, 13:11, pull 112:7, 113:12, 39:12, 129:20,
22:5, 73:11, 106:18 117:20, 118:5, 130:12, 130:18,
85:18, 136:22 purpose 127:22, 135:13 131:15
protected 5:17, 26:2, questioned raised
3:4 122:21, 122:22, 85:17 7:19, 13:5,
protecting 123:2 questions 58:20, 71:22,
73:14, 85:6, purposes 5:3, 6:15, 72:20, 113:3,
99:5 139:12 7:19, 10:4, 124:14, 130:6
protocol pursue 11:17, 13:7, rambling
20:10 4:11, 136:9, 23:9, 23:18, 15:10
proud 136:13 26:14, 33:19, rampant
78:17 pursuing 34:2, 35:9, 4:20
proven 76:16, 76:20 62:16, 63:2, range
119:21 push 73:1, 74:16, 138:13
provide 64:7, 134:14 74:22, 75:1, ranking
8:15, 20:7, pushing 75:9, 78:8, 12:16, 23:7
34:1, 61:16, 130:9 79:2, 84:18, rate
111:15, 124:16, put 85:5, 92:14, 22:20
139:8, 139:11 4:22, 27:12, 92:19, 99:22, rather
provided 49:5, 51:21, 103:10, 103:19, 78:14, 89:9
16:20, 17:3, 53:18, 68:21, 108:3, 112:5, reached
17:5, 56:19, 125:3, 128:18, 117:9, 117:21, 38:19, 136:12
62:17, 107:22, 129:7 118:2, 129:19, react
141:5 putting 138:14, 138:16, 83:6
provides 56:11 139:3, 139:7, read
118:15 puzzled 139:19
quick 18:8, 27:14,
providing 52:6 80:20, 89:1,
52:13 100:14 89:15, 122:13,
Q quickly
proxies qualified 122:16
4:2 96:3, 129:8 readily
28:19, 55:5 quietly
public qualify 17:7
3:10, 5:14, 133:4 reaffirmed
114:11, 114:13 quite
8:10, 11:17, question 124:6
17:18, 26:20, 42:14, 81:17 real
15:5, 15:10, quote
51:19, 53:19, 16:7, 16:12, 11:8, 118:11,
62:17, 63:9, 7:22, 9:6, 128:5, 129:8,
16:19, 32:7, 15:14, 15:17,
76:19, 78:15, 53:11, 61:14, 132:3
97:16, 105:4, 15:22, 16:1, really
65:3, 65:4, 16:5, 62:18,
107:13, 113:7, 66:7, 66:12, 37:6, 47:7,
127:8, 139:21 63:7, 63:14, 47:10, 55:7,
69:6, 73:4, 86:9, 86:20
publically 73:19, 75:19, 55:19, 65:16,
18:8 R 72:2, 98:10,
rabbit
105:9
PLANET DEPOS
107:8, 115:16 109:19, 123:22, 41:21, 42:6, reduce
reason 132:17 42:11, 42:12, 22:13
3:14, 27:11, reception 42:16, 60:2, reduced
28:5, 70:3, 13:19, 13:22, 78:2, 78:8, 112:18
72:4, 96:15, 14:4, 14:8, 91:12, 110:9, reed
107:13, 113:5, 24:19, 25:13, 141:2 124:10, 124:11,
119:16, 128:5, 43:19, 44:2, recorded 124:18, 125:15,
129:8 79:10, 80:4, 22:18, 141:3 125:18, 125:20,
reasonable 80:11, 80:12, recording 126:2, 127:22,
66:12, 123:14 96:1, 96:2, 141:5 128:10, 128:18,
reasons 96:11, 96:17, records 128:22, 129:4,
27:8, 37:6, 107:6 59:20, 60:4, 136:19
53:16, 90:8, recognition 112:17 refer
138:16 135:15 recruit 135:14
recall recognize 2:21 reference
13:14, 13:21, 2:15, 3:10, recusal 29:16, 50:3
20:11, 41:14, 11:3, 23:18, 10:9, 17:11, referenced
42:6, 44:19, 78:1, 135:6 17:22, 18:5, 138:22
45:12, 46:13, recognized 18:11, 18:15, references
56:22, 57:17, 23:13, 23:14 19:3, 19:17, 23:16
58:3, 61:13, recollect 28:3, 36:6, referred
62:6, 81:22, 41:7 63:15, 65:5, 42:22, 83:8,
82:1, 90:22, recollection 66:9, 66:14, 116:14, 116:22
98:3, 98:12, 14:1, 20:3, 66:16, 69:8, referring
99:1, 100:19, 42:20, 43:4, 69:10, 76:22, 47:17
101:18, 101:20, 43:22, 45:18, 93:16, 94:21, refresh
101:22, 102:3, 45:20, 46:20, 94:22, 120:4, 111:1, 111:5
102:15, 110:21, 62:2, 80:17, 120:8, 138:17 refusal
113:8, 114:22, 96:6, 110:19, recuse 84:18, 85:4,
121:16, 130:3, 110:22, 111:5, 4:6, 17:20, 85:14, 121:9
130:16, 130:21, 121:2 21:9, 27:8, refused
131:9, 132:4, recommend 28:11, 28:22, 110:13
132:8 55:4 29:3, 29:13, refusing
recalled recommendation 29:18, 35:7, 11:17, 118:2
26:18 19:15, 30:19, 64:19, 69:1, refute
receive 52:6, 52:7, 71:3, 72:10, 15:20
30:7, 64:4 52:8, 52:17, 93:8, 93:13, refuted
received 69:7, 120:19, 94:3 76:13
8:19, 18:2, 121:1, 121:6, recused regard
29:10, 42:14, 124:20, 128:18 10:5, 18:18, 18:10, 30:5,
63:14, 64:13, recommendations 21:7, 27:5, 31:20, 42:20,
89:1, 90:2 98:1 28:5, 29:9, 47:13, 59:13,
receiving recommending 30:6, 35:18, 67:17, 75:20,
96:3 19:9, 66:13, 38:12, 64:9, 125:17
recent 69:3, 120:5, 69:18, 120:6, regarding
2:6, 3:16, 11:9 127:3, 128:1 120:13 20:14, 46:12,
recently record recusing 72:10, 112:9
24:8, 85:17, 3:20, 36:2, 72:3 regardless
52:5, 52:16
PLANET DEPOS
regret remain report 127:11
138:8 5:8, 68:18 42:3, 47:20, requires
regular remarks 126:13, 132:5 133:18
16:10, 110:2 5:20 reported reschedule
regularly remember 3:20, 15:19, 6:17
95:14 14:4, 24:3, 17:18, 18:8, resolve
regulation 24:5, 24:6, 22:16, 26:3, 22:12
18:21, 18:22, 24:10, 27:3, 26:22, 34:7, respect
31:10 41:18, 44:22, 47:4, 60:9, 65:5, 84:7,
regulations 46:17, 57:9, 132:17, 134:3 93:17, 124:22
27:12 57:15, 57:16, reportedly respectfully
reince 61:10, 80:14, 133:1 65:1, 70:10
101:19 80:16, 83:6, reporter respond
reiterate 97:6, 110:22, 16:17, 16:20, 13:6, 59:12,
120:3 130:9 17:3, 26:18 67:8, 81:18,
relate remembered reports 81:20, 108:7,
83:16 27:2 8:11, 34:13, 108:9, 108:13,
related remind 47:12, 89:16 108:14, 113:3
13:3, 16:21, 2:17, 23:15, represent responded
77:2, 93:15, 139:10 19:12 20:11, 20:12
93:19, 103:10, reminder representations responding
131:20, 138:14, 11:10 24:8 16:9, 133:8
141:6 remiss representative response
relatedly 139:10 132:11 16:8, 41:22,
15:4 removal representatives 75:22, 108:4,
relates 4:8, 19:10 51:12, 95:15 132:7
113:13, 113:16 remove represented responses
relating 51:14, 55:4, 66:18, 67:11, 34:1, 93:18,
89:19, 95:1 98:2 77:11 110:19
relations removed republican responsibility
48:7 36:8 26:5, 61:15, 22:4, 69:13,
relationship removing 111:9, 113:10 70:16, 70:18,
27:17, 76:2, 34:8 republican's 70:20, 77:16
115:13 render 110:10 responsible
relative 19:18 republicans 64:15
23:17 reopening 47:1, 95:9 responsive
release 126:9 reputation 34:5
122:1, 123:11 repeat 21:14 rest
released 101:4, 115:22, request 5:1, 25:13
19:12 131:11 7:3, 10:15 restore
releasing repeated requested 31:12, 68:14,
105:4 110:13 91:21, 92:17, 110:2
relevant repeatedly 94:18 restored
4:14, 18:12, 3:8, 67:1 requests 31:15
62:16, 63:19, replacement 7:5, 110:14 result
89:20, 133:8 138:7 require 35:15, 110:5
rely replied 11:13 resulting
117:22 15:22 required 110:6
18:22, 28:6,
PLANET DEPOS
retain 48:19, 49:3, row russia's
2:21 49:11, 49:18, 95:18 2:16, 4:12,
retired 49:22, 50:6, rubio 104:10, 130:13,
25:10 50:10, 50:20, 56:15, 56:16, 130:19
retrospect 51:3, 51:5, 57:7, 57:9, russia-related
70:12, 125:12, 75:18 57:12, 57:19, 131:4, 131:13,
127:5 rising 58:5, 58:9, 131:22
reveal 22:17 58:13, 59:10, russian
64:2, 74:15 road 59:19, 60:1, 3:17, 4:1, 4:7,
revealed 127:17 60:6, 60:7, 7:20, 8:3, 8:7,
38:8, 38:10, robert 60:18, 61:2, 8:9, 9:18, 10:6,
87:16 30:3, 92:21 61:5, 61:14, 10:20, 12:19,
revealing robust 62:1, 62:6, 62:8 13:3, 13:15,
6:4, 44:18 38:2 rule 14:1, 14:2,
review rod 36:19, 54:7, 14:3, 14:8,
4:17, 32:5, 19:8, 36:5, 68:18 14:10, 14:22,
34:2, 74:16, 67:19, 75:2, rules 15:16, 16:18,
112:7, 121:4 76:11, 92:11, 20:19, 21:2, 17:11, 24:4,
reviewing 92:12 27:13, 28:6, 27:6, 36:15,
113:2 rogers 28:8, 30:20, 42:17, 46:1,
rid 54:15, 75:10, 31:13, 31:14, 47:8, 52:17,
84:2, 92:21, 78:3 55:2, 59:2, 60:9, 63:5,
128:15 role 73:11, 82:4, 63:7, 63:20,
ridiculous 2:9, 4:8, 66:8, 82:9, 112:14, 66:10, 69:1,
106:16 123:15, 123:18 113:2, 122:15, 70:3, 71:3,
right room 124:15, 127:15 80:18, 88:9,
12:7, 23:3, 14:7, 24:9, rumor 90:2, 95:13,
28:21, 38:2, 24:14, 44:8, 92:20 97:8, 97:12,
41:2, 44:12, 79:6, 80:21, run 97:18, 97:19,
48:19, 49:3, 95:2 48:14, 68:18, 100:5, 100:15,
50:17, 55:3, rosenstein 69:15, 82:4 101:1, 101:8,
57:7, 61:5, 19:8, 36:5, running 102:5, 109:7,
69:1, 72:20, 51:11, 55:10, 39:4 111:9, 113:5,
73:14, 77:19, 67:10, 67:19, rushed 113:21, 113:22,
80:9, 80:19, 69:5, 75:2, 114:18 114:2, 114:3,
81:10, 85:7, 76:11, 86:21, russia 114:21, 115:7,
85:18, 87:10, 92:11, 92:12, 1:8, 2:18, 120:7, 120:14,
87:12, 87:22, 92:22, 120:4, 2:19, 5:3, 11:6, 120:18, 128:5,
94:7, 106:2, 120:11, 123:17, 53:2, 67:2, 128:13, 129:1,
123:19, 126:11, 127:2 75:20, 76:17, 129:15, 129:20,
126:19 rosenstein's 76:21, 77:2, 130:4, 132:12,
rightness 19:14, 38:22, 92:14, 98:19, 132:19, 134:7,
124:6 55:17, 90:15, 105:3, 107:18, 135:13, 136:6,
risch 121:5 115:6, 115:12, 138:20
45:21, 45:22, round 121:1, 128:11, russians
46:15, 46:18, 67:13, 138:12 130:6, 131:19, 4:6, 8:1,
47:16, 47:18, routine 134:4, 134:7, 10:22, 14:14,
48:4, 48:14, 16:13, 20:5 134:15 16:4, 16:10,
PLANET DEPOS
16:13, 26:17, 126:4, 126:10, 80:7, 83:6, 131:4, 131:8,
46:12, 48:2, 127:10, 141:3 83:7, 86:12, 131:14, 131:20,
48:6, 48:20, same 86:20, 87:4, 131:22, 133:15,
50:4, 63:18, 10:7, 10:19, 87:17, 92:5, 134:19
88:18, 89:7, 16:20, 29:4, 92:7, 97:13, see
90:1, 97:7, 33:7, 54:15, 106:21, 110:19, 6:2, 25:18,
98:10, 102:13, 95:2, 95:3, 111:13, 126:6, 32:20, 78:12,
103:16, 107:1, 97:6, 97:9, 128:14 78:13, 78:16,
107:3, 130:8, 136:6 says 81:7, 91:8,
134:13, 135:18, sanctions 27:13, 27:19, 97:1, 119:7,
136:3, 136:12, 97:20, 98:2 82:12, 122:19 119:8, 132:6,
137:10 sanctity scenario 133:12, 139:6
S 3:4 129:5 seeing
sacrifice sat scene 6:7, 57:9
140:3 9:8, 97:22, 109:9 seek
safe 138:7 scheduled 3:7
2:13, 3:6, satellite 6:8 seeking
21:21, 23:3 2:20 scintilla 7:18, 89:19
said saw 46:22 seem
3:8, 4:19, 24:9, 58:13 scope 58:10, 92:9,
7:22, 15:19, say 19:3 104:12, 135:15
24:2, 30:12, 6:19, 15:7, scrutinizing seems
30:17, 39:10, 25:14, 27:1, 2:18, 2:19 40:3, 40:7,
42:16, 45:1, 27:18, 29:8, scrutiny 88:21
45:5, 45:18, 32:2, 35:17, 76:19 seen
48:1, 51:22, 42:5, 42:20, scurrilous 11:15, 38:9,
55:15, 58:14, 44:17, 49:9, 21:10 79:15, 80:20,
58:16, 63:6, 51:19, 54:15, season 105:15
63:9, 65:4, 54:16, 54:18, 42:18, 132:10 select
66:2, 66:5, 55:1, 58:5, seated 122:20
66:10, 66:11, 58:18, 59:11, 12:12, 95:17 selective
68:9, 72:21, 60:13, 66:1, seating 88:2
79:18, 82:19, 67:9, 69:17, 95:20 senate
83:1, 83:2, 70:2, 70:7, second 1:7, 2:11, 6:9,
83:4, 83:18, 73:5, 73:7, 67:12 16:22, 17:6,
83:21, 84:2, 75:12, 77:6, secondly 25:8, 25:9,
85:2, 86:13, 80:4, 80:5, 64:8, 73:18 26:6, 26:9,
86:20, 90:7, 82:10, 83:12, secret 91:20, 129:17
91:16, 93:1, 83:14, 84:1, 65:12 senator's
93:10, 97:11, 87:1, 92:1, secretary 119:9, 135:5
105:11, 105:12, 104:21, 107:10, 4:16, 121:8, senators
107:1, 107:3, 111:20, 119:19, 123:10, 128:2 48:6, 118:6
108:6, 108:8, 120:2, 121:13, security send
108:9, 113:10, 121:18, 123:13, 4:16, 7:13, 18:12
119:14, 121:7, 126:15, 128:18, 7:16, 9:15, sending
121:21, 123:7, 133:20, 134:12, 40:19, 81:13, 29:17
123:18, 123:22, 137:17 97:16, 98:16, senior
saying 109:13, 110:1, 17:17, 64:14,
71:8, 73:19,
PLANET DEPOS
71:6, 75:13 99:8, 99:9, shorts 126:16
sense 99:14, 99:20, 91:18 silence
44:10, 83:16 134:9 shots 75:9, 75:10
sensitive set 5:5 silva
3:3, 4:18, 3:19, 55:11, should 106:6
23:17, 110:4 91:12 3:9, 6:14, similar
sensitivities sets 17:20, 18:23, 134:7
122:6, 122:19 55:2 23:17, 27:21, simple
sent setting 28:8, 45:6, 75:22, 104:21,
30:5, 30:10, 24:14, 96:4, 45:8, 56:3, 105:1
53:18, 55:12, 96:11, 106:18, 63:19, 67:8, simply
93:8, 94:11 109:11, 136:18 71:22, 82:11, 16:11, 60:10
separate setup 94:4, 94:12, since
3:19, 4:20, 43:8 103:20, 104:22, 21:12, 22:21,
13:17 several 105:1, 118:5, 30:3, 33:18,
september 3:21, 11:15, 137:18 35:17, 38:12,
26:6 13:4, 13:21, shouldn't 51:1, 53:15,
series 28:18, 31:22, 38:9, 56:4 80:20, 103:16,
35:8, 136:15 93:12, 95:13, show 138:18
serious 110:18, 139:3 78:2, 78:9, single
11:13, 39:17, severity 118:1 19:17, 69:18,
50:13, 97:12, 11:4 showed 105:8
109:13, 134:9, shall 98:8 sir
137:8 27:15 showing 35:9, 36:11,
seriousness shape 40:20 37:11, 37:18,
97:11, 109:15, 7:15, 100:12 shown 41:2, 41:3,
135:11, 135:16 share 117:13 42:9, 43:1,
serve 20:3, 22:2, shrugged 43:13, 44:4,
29:12, 71:18 32:4, 38:1, 58:17, 83:7 45:14, 86:16,
served 72:4, 72:12, shut 97:4, 97:21,
15:1, 19:1, 74:3, 112:9, 24:19 100:4, 101:7,
20:16, 25:11, 112:10, 112:16, side 111:10, 112:4,
34:18, 67:22, 135:17 102:22, 103:2, 114:9, 116:21,
101:12 shared 103:7, 104:20, 117:16, 118:9,
service 68:5 104:22, 136:16 126:2, 138:3
2:5, 27:21, shed sidelines sit
78:15 8:16, 138:2 26:5 49:4
services shocked sides sitting
25:11, 48:8, 50:9 9:21, 38:4, 9:8, 44:21,
129:17, 131:3, shocking 56:9, 102:18 103:1, 103:6,
132:14, 133:16 9:11 sign 106:16
serving shook 66:13 situation
9:4, 71:17 25:1, 25:3 signature-5zyom 35:3, 67:11,
session short 141:12 96:17, 119:1
23:16, 41:9, 65:19, 91:18, signed situations
42:3, 42:14, 96:1, 109:3, 66:17 16:13, 106:15
73:6, 78:3, 133:21 significant six
78:5, 99:7, shortly 28:20, 91:3, 15:10, 31:2,
71:3
PLANET DEPOS
31:22, 59:6, 103:6, 107:6, source spreading
71:18, 105:5, 107:16, 109:21, 92:9, 93:3 50:16
105:6, 105:15 110:7, 115:10, sources spy
skilled 118:12, 122:11, 3:3, 3:4, 133:1 106:5
126:5, 126:20 132:21, 133:13, soviet squander
skills 136:2, 136:6, 115:14 5:4
133:13 136:21, 137:2, speak square
skip 137:8, 138:2, 6:13, 7:3, 77:3
16:10, 16:17, 139:19 10:13, 38:3, squarely
71:7, 71:16, somebody 52:1, 52:20, 16:19
76:17, 86:9, 40:13, 80:8, 91:11, 99:10 staff
92:12, 97:14, 83:19, 114:8 speaker 4:13, 5:9,
103:19, 114:19, somehow 118:4 13:19, 16:21,
120:18, 125:2, 39:5, 50:3, speaks 18:12, 20:6,
129:9, 134:1 92:4, 92:10, 75:11, 125:7 25:5, 25:8,
small 92:20, 93:4 special 25:11, 25:12,
96:11 someone 13:2, 30:2, 29:17, 29:19,
smart 38:14, 55:1, 34:9, 36:7, 82:1, 94:10,
119:21 61:5, 61:8, 74:20, 75:6, 103:4, 110:5,
smell 71:9, 77:18 99:16 117:22, 119:4,
66:22, 67:6 something specific 119:8
smoke 28:5, 33:21, 19:17, 27:8, staffs
136:9 40:1, 42:7, 27:10, 46:19 18:14, 94:12
so-called 45:1, 55:15, specifically stage
47:16 77:11, 78:15, 13:5, 93:7, 104:6
solemnly 82:18, 83:11, 95:3 stake
12:8, 72:21 89:20, 93:20, speculate 118:11
some 98:19 108:22 stand
4:17, 6:6, sometimes speculation 12:6
7:17, 7:19, 80:7 4:20 standard
8:10, 13:13, somewhere speech 73:3, 73:10,
14:20, 15:10, 117:5 13:17, 14:5, 74:11
17:18, 17:19, son-in-law 17:1, 23:22, standards
21:22, 25:1, 41:4 25:20, 43:20, 21:14
25:5, 27:1, soon 79:4, 79:15, standing
30:14, 31:14, 6:18 95:14, 95:18, 44:17, 92:6,
32:11, 33:19, sorry 96:1 113:10
39:1, 39:3, 86:17, 104:1, spent standpoint
39:10, 39:16, 126:1, 131:12 47:6, 78:3, 26:9
42:14, 44:13, sort 118:13 stark
48:5, 55:11, 44:6, 61:10, spies 11:10
56:2, 56:22, 77:17, 107:6, 105:20 start
66:4, 66:19, 111:3, 129:7 spoke 7:10, 40:2,
71:11, 85:20, sorting 20:6, 49:18, 40:5, 40:6,
85:21, 90:11, 139:13 113:11, 131:2 55:14, 56:10,
91:19, 92:4, sought spoken 68:5, 101:5
92:7, 95:10, 46:22, 89:9 4:14, 91:12, started
99:10, 102:12, sound 108:4 46:8, 47:12,
69:17
PLANET DEPOS
105:5, 119:14 63:10, 63:19 struck superior
state stepping 61:8 39:2, 39:10
14:12, 22:14, 63:5 studying superseded
108:19, 128:3, steps 94:5 136:6
132:19 11:11, 122:21 stunderous supervising
stated steve 56:1 70:17
19:9, 52:4, 101:14, 101:21 stunning supervisor
63:13, 78:9, still 55:21, 124:4, 59:14, 59:15,
95:5, 95:17, 2:19, 11:3, 124:5 90:16
103:17, 105:15, 42:5, 71:17 subcommittee supplant
108:18, 110:9 stonewalling 131:21 121:19
statement 62:15, 62:21, subject supplemental
9:11, 19:13, 63:1, 63:22, 7:9, 11:19, 17:5
32:19, 48:11, 64:6 28:4, 54:6, supply
49:1, 51:12, stood 122:2, 130:10 110:14, 111:18
63:13, 63:16, 9:1 subjects support
91:14, 96:18, stop 39:7 22:13, 130:13,
108:5, 120:1, 46:6 subsequent 133:16
126:22 store 42:7 supported
statements 48:15 subsequently 133:17
9:20, 91:19, story 68:20, 70:1 supporter
127:1 67:4, 92:10, substance 7:11
states 93:3, 103:13, 20:7, 124:20 supporting
2:11, 9:10, 103:21, 104:2, substantially 95:10
11:12, 14:16, 129:6, 129:7 47:7, 47:22 supportive
15:12, 18:22, straight substantiates 78:18
25:15, 37:5, 3:20, 91:12 139:13 suppose
37:8, 49:12, strange successful 50:11
49:13, 50:22, 76:7, 138:1, 109:19 supposed
51:2, 64:4, 138:8 suddenly 58:18, 83:9,
69:13, 93:16, strategic 40:6 132:20
100:12, 106:16, 7:14, 115:11, sufficient sure
110:1, 115:7, 115:17, 131:21 134:20, 134:21 22:11, 26:13,
115:12, 118:14, strategy suggest 29:6, 33:12,
127:20, 127:21, 7:16, 134:18, 52:21, 60:8,
128:12, 133:5, 19:16, 48:1,
134:21 105:18 74:1, 76:6,
134:5, 134:15 street 81:21, 83:3,
status suggested
61:7 28:3, 81:10, 84:1, 84:3,
95:19 streets 89:21, 98:13,
statute 103:17, 107:17
22:15 suggesting 99:13, 102:13,
28:13, 29:4 strengthened 112:4, 126:16,
stay 34:7, 37:20,
22:12, 110:12 65:16, 107:2 137:10, 138:6
57:3, 57:10, stretched suggestion surprise
57:14, 57:16, 26:13 128:16
58:6, 81:7 14:20, 15:21,
stronger 50:2 surrogate
stayed 133:4 suited 7:14, 16:3,
70:13 strongly 25:15, 48:3,
step 5:15
31:11 superb 107:2
3:2, 32:21,
22:7
PLANET DEPOS
surrogates talking 120:6, 120:12 thank
15:16, 16:10 14:1, 44:22, terms 2:5, 5:21,
surround 50:14, 62:20, 136:2, 137:10 5:22, 12:3,
138:16 68:17, 79:2, terrorism 12:5, 12:13,
suspect 89:22, 90:1, 58:1 12:15, 23:7,
75:15, 129:9 102:13, 116:16, terrorists 23:10, 23:11,
suspect's 121:11 23:1 30:1, 32:18,
109:9 taught test 33:17, 34:3,
suspicious 127:20 67:1, 67:6 45:14, 51:5,
61:11 taxpayer-funded testified 51:10, 56:13,
swear 67:5 9:9, 30:12, 56:14, 56:16,
12:8, 72:21 team 68:22, 70:22, 56:17, 62:8,
sworn 4:4, 5:8, 22:7, 71:4, 77:7, 62:10, 62:11,
17:13, 28:15, 32:8, 32:9, 83:2, 84:11, 67:13, 67:15,
115:19, 116:2 32:12, 32:15, 85:12, 86:3, 69:9, 72:6,
system 55:22, 61:15, 86:8, 86:10, 78:11, 78:19,
91:22, 133:19, 68:15, 71:6, 87:13, 126:14, 84:5, 84:6,
134:22 98:16, 132:1 138:1 84:8, 84:10,
T teams testify 91:5, 91:7,
137:19, 138:9 6:9, 107:13, 91:10, 96:21,
take 96:22, 97:2,
technological 113:9
6:5, 11:10, 104:8, 106:20,
24:22, 35:14, 133:13, 134:12, testifying
134:22 47:21 108:2, 109:18,
36:7, 135:22 110:8, 115:15,
taken telecommunicatio- testimony
ns 1:9, 6:4, 6:12, 118:9, 124:11,
15:18, 18:9, 124:18, 129:11,
79:1 133:6, 134:6 8:20, 10:3,
tell 12:4, 15:11, 129:12, 135:7,
taking 135:9, 137:14,
5:4, 92:13, 12:9, 45:4, 17:5, 19:22,
47:1, 49:4, 23:11, 24:2, 137:15, 138:3,
109:14, 122:8 138:5, 139:17
talent 62:19, 65:8, 38:19, 42:7,
65:10, 72:22, 44:6, 57:12, thanks
2:22 81:10, 84:14, 51:7
talk 73:10, 88:22,
111:19, 113:9, 108:8, 110:21, theatrical
7:1, 31:7, 116:15, 127:12 111:1, 112:13, 107:15
46:1, 48:5, telling 139:14 themselves
56:6, 61:4, testy 11:11, 52:2
65:6, 71:15, 22:22, 70:22,
73:18 130:10 therefore
82:11, 83:15, th 55:4
111:11, 127:6 ten
22:20, 23:13, 8:12, 17:21, thing
talked 17:8, 28:21,
23:19, 71:11, 28:16, 40:15,
23:20, 35:12, 40:17, 42:13, 40:2, 47:11,
39:21, 40:4, 105:16
tenth 46:9, 51:11, 50:19, 54:15,
52:1, 52:22, 52:3, 56:18, 55:14, 56:1,
67:20, 80:16, 3:15
tenure 56:21, 71:2, 61:4, 70:3,
81:4, 82:14, 79:3, 95:2, 71:14, 80:4,
117:10, 118:10, 133:21
terminated 97:17, 98:6, 107:5, 120:1,
118:11, 127:16, 108:6, 108:10, 124:4, 124:5,
131:4 39:13, 119:14
termination 115:8 126:11, 126:19,
53:15, 54:21,
PLANET DEPOS
127:18 133:17, 135:17, time 137:3, 139:14
things 136:16, 136:18, 4:3, 16:3, today's
17:18, 31:14, 138:14, 138:19, 16:19, 23:18, 7:9
33:7, 39:10, 139:2 25:7, 25:22, together
40:11, 44:5, thinking 28:19, 39:1, 5:6, 22:22,
47:6, 55:18, 92:21, 124:8 40:17, 42:11, 78:16
56:7, 60:22, third 45:4, 47:7, told
74:19, 77:4, 8:11 48:10, 56:12, 46:18, 51:13,
77:20, 78:22, thoroughly 58:11, 65:19, 64:19, 71:5
93:7, 97:9, 78:7 66:19, 68:1, tolerated
99:4, 99:7, thought 91:14, 95:3, 12:21
99:10, 105:22, 10:16, 21:5, 97:15, 97:18, took
111:13, 138:14, 29:11, 31:11, 98:5, 108:2, 9:13, 29:13,
139:2 39:11, 40:13, 110:8, 112:19, 33:19, 44:13,
think 42:12, 60:22, 119:9, 121:14, 44:15, 44:18,
5:12, 29:5, 76:8, 80:6, 122:12, 125:11, 47:5, 72:20,
29:22, 31:2, 82:18, 86:15, 125:14, 135:5, 83:10, 94:20,
31:11, 31:14, 91:1, 91:2 137:6 120:9, 129:16
32:1, 33:4, thousand timeline tools
35:16, 36:9, 71:11 28:15, 120:4 2:13
38:16, 40:16, thousands timelines top
45:15, 46:3, 19:20, 47:9, 139:13 9:12, 31:9,
47:21, 48:12, 69:11 times 70:19, 112:8,
57:22, 58:3, threat 5:7, 21:11, 137:18
58:19, 58:22, 11:4, 11:8, 22:18, 32:11, topic
61:22, 62:6, 20:5, 135:11, 46:10, 47:3, 3:17, 8:18,
62:7, 65:20, 135:16 49:19, 60:17, 67:21
67:8, 68:14, threats 84:2, 105:12, torrent
70:7, 70:15, 109:13, 134:19 110:18 5:13
70:20, 71:13, three timing total
71:22, 75:9, 4:6, 24:20, 40:7, 70:5, 31:2, 67:4
76:5, 77:12, 58:4, 60:17, 122:20 totally
78:6, 79:3, 73:7, 79:13, tirelessly 37:21, 77:13,
79:12, 81:6, 79:14, 105:12, 5:9 81:21, 124:4
81:12, 81:20, 110:20 today track
83:1, 83:5, through 2:4, 3:22, 5:3, 132:20
85:16, 87:1, 31:9, 44:6, 6:7, 6:10, 6:20, trade
90:14, 91:4, 46:20, 47:8, 7:4, 8:13, 9:8,
96:16, 97:14, 105:20
65:16, 91:14, 10:3, 12:18, tragic
97:15, 99:22, 91:22, 98:7, 13:4, 13:18,
102:9, 103:14, 115:17
100:14, 101:3, 18:7, 23:9, trails
103:18, 105:8, 106:21, 138:7 35:4, 37:11,
105:18, 108:15, 105:9
throughout 68:22, 72:21, transcribed
115:10, 116:17, 21:11, 25:13 78:14, 84:7,
117:6, 119:18, 1:22, 141:4
thursday 84:15, 88:17, transcriber
120:1, 124:7, 8:19, 17:14, 107:13, 107:20,
125:6, 125:13, 140:22
63:3 111:1, 112:3, transcript
127:4, 127:11, ties 112:5, 115:18,
141:2
136:11, 137:9
PLANET DEPOS
transcripts truth ukraine's 91:4, 98:13,
109:4 4:11, 5:10, 134:8 125:14
transition 12:9, 12:10, ukrainian undertake
98:8 72:22, 73:1, 130:5 81:14
transparent 73:18 ultimately undisclosed
21:18 truthful 109:15 129:15
travel 65:15 unable unfiltered
132:19 try 16:5, 19:18, 49:4
traveled 34:4, 36:7, 117:19 unhappy
49:15 85:15, 102:9, unacceptable 125:11
treated 128:8, 129:3 62:22 unidentified
21:20 trying unanimous 118:4
treatment 42:10, 60:14, 11:5 unified
95:21 61:8, 70:18, unaware 5:8
tremendously 133:5 112:9 union
140:1 tulane unbelievable 115:14
tried 138:12 140:2 unique
65:14, 65:18, turmoil unclassified 102:17
129:7 39:5 11:17 united
troubling turn uncomfortable 2:10, 9:10,
8:21, 9:20, 5:19, 91:21, 30:18, 44:7, 11:11, 14:16,
44:5, 76:15, 109:1 44:10, 70:5, 15:12, 25:15,
136:9 turned 82:19, 83:1 37:5, 37:8,
true 132:21 uncomfortableness 49:12, 49:13,
120:17, 141:2 tweeted 44:14 50:22, 51:2,
truly 67:1, 67:3 under 64:4, 69:12,
135:1 two 8:20, 9:4, 88:21, 93:16,
trump 4:3, 8:9, 28:6, 105:13, 100:12, 106:16,
4:2, 7:11, 13:20, 16:3, 126:13 110:1, 115:7,
7:12, 7:17, 17:7, 20:17, undermine 115:12, 118:14,
13:20, 14:17, 24:20, 26:3, 10:19, 15:2 127:20, 127:21,
15:14, 21:21, 31:1, 32:1, understand 128:12, 133:5,
25:19, 32:1, 41:22, 42:21, 20:22, 24:6, 134:5, 134:15
32:8, 34:8, 52:4, 58:4, 36:22, 40:4, universal
46:11, 49:7, 63:11, 73:7, 42:9, 42:10, 121:10
49:14, 51:14, 75:5, 77:4, 53:7, 79:9, unlawful
59:7, 66:9, 78:3, 79:12, 81:9, 84:21, 51:1
95:7, 95:19, 79:14, 96:2, 85:10, 85:13, unless
96:4, 96:7, 97:19 99:5, 107:8, 27:14
100:16, 105:2, type 107:20, 121:9, unlikely
105:12, 108:17, 14:14, 98:1 136:14, 136:17, 96:12
114:20, 115:5, typically 136:18 unnamed
115:21, 116:4, 115:20, 116:3 understanding 92:9, 93:3
136:2, 136:11 U 6:8, 37:10, unnerved
trump's ukraine 41:3, 72:19, 9:5
4:4, 15:15, 61:17, 110:11, 73:3, 86:11 unprecedented
40:19, 96:1, 110:15, 129:20 understood 136:4
109:7 16:8, 20:18, unprofessional
124:21
PLANET DEPOS
until 39:9, 39:18, waived 41:19, 42:9,
17:21, 83:17, 40:3, 41:2, 88:13, 99:13 43:1, 43:9,
92:1, 94:3, 41:7, 41:11, walk 43:13, 43:16,
98:7, 128:11 41:19, 42:9, 64:1 43:18, 44:1,
untoward 43:1, 43:9, walking 44:4, 45:14,
75:20 43:13, 43:16, 61:7 54:10, 135:7,
unusual 43:18, 44:1, wandering 137:22
68:2 44:4, 45:14, 132:21 washington
unwillingness 54:10, 135:6, want 134:3
36:22 135:7, 137:15, 5:22, 6:5, washington-based
urged 137:22 6:19, 10:8, 95:11
124:1 video 10:17, 10:21, watched
use 24:9 11:19, 33:10, 62:4
125:4, 130:15 view 36:2, 38:18, way
usurp 53:14, 55:10, 56:18, 60:7, 5:22, 16:1,
121:14 57:13, 62:12, 62:11, 62:15, 18:16, 29:15,
usurpation 66:22, 68:5, 66:12, 67:16, 35:20, 37:20,
55:19, 77:15 73:17 78:8, 86:18, 39:5, 42:6,
usurped viewed 93:6, 99:11, 44:17, 45:10,
68:9, 123:18 10:8, 10:15 114:16, 125:20, 79:16, 82:11,
V views 135:18, 137:17, 83:8, 83:13,
19:13, 66:18, 139:17 91:14, 91:22,
validity 67:11, 68:21 wanted 93:15, 100:12,
34:17 vintage 15:20, 60:20, 108:15, 119:14,
valuable 97:6 74:22, 97:10, 125:5, 125:11,
120:1 violate 107:13 134:19, 137:21
valued 13:10, 66:15, wanting ways
128:20 66:16 97:9 21:22, 68:12,
various violated wants 73:16, 85:11
19:19, 32:13 50:18, 66:9, 21:19 we'll
venue 66:14, 123:8 warner 34:1, 138:3
3:18 violates 5:21, 12:16, we're
verbal 124:5 23:8, 25:12, 2:18, 6:1, 7:3,
53:20 violation 32:18, 33:2, 7:17, 21:18,
vice 36:19 33:8, 33:13, 22:22, 40:6,
5:5, 5:19, violence 33:17, 34:3, 47:10, 65:21,
5:21, 12:5, 130:14 34:6, 34:15, 74:21, 96:9,
23:13, 32:17, vip 34:21, 35:5, 103:22, 104:2,
32:18, 33:8, 43:19, 44:2 35:8, 35:13, 104:17, 115:17,
33:13, 33:17, vital 35:19, 35:21, 116:20, 119:1,
34:3, 34:6, 23:6 36:1, 36:6, 119:19, 140:1
34:15, 34:21, vocal 36:11, 36:21, we've
35:5, 35:8, 37:9, 37:15, 11:15, 38:9,
35:13, 35:19, 131:10
volumes 38:6, 38:11, 47:6, 47:8,
36:1, 36:6, 39:9, 39:18, 68:15, 97:7,
36:11, 36:21, 75:11
W 39:21, 40:3, 136:3, 136:12
37:9, 37:15, 41:2, 41:7, weak
38:6, 38:11, waive 41:11, 41:15, 129:5
118:19
PLANET DEPOS
weakened 125:5, 130:17 witness's written
110:10 whisper 12:4 73:21, 74:6,
weaknesses 50:2 witnesses 82:2, 90:8,
133:19 white 11:21, 11:22, 90:12, 110:20,
weapon 19:12, 20:10, 47:10, 62:18, 111:2, 111:3,
134:4, 134:6 20:15, 20:19, 116:18 112:16, 120:21,
weapons 21:3, 31:7, women 122:4, 124:15,
61:16, 130:15 36:18, 37:17, 55:6, 55:8 136:20
week 50:21, 57:5, wonder wrong
2:9, 6:4, 59:21, 60:3, 60:15 28:5, 31:4,
10:11, 11:19, 82:3, 139:6 word 68:3, 121:14
22:16, 44:7, whole 93:7 wrongdoing
46:19, 77:6, 12:9, 47:11, wording 18:19, 18:20,
105:12, 107:14, 72:22, 124:19, 81:22, 83:3 30:9
108:18, 109:10, 128:1, 128:3, words wrote
136:16, 137:3, 129:5, 131:13, 52:1, 52:20, 51:15, 52:11,
138:2 135:13 131:19 67:3, 67:10,
weeks wholesale work 69:2, 110:21,
7:18, 11:15, 111:6 3:2, 10:1, 120:10, 121:6,
33:1, 63:11, wide 22:6, 22:9, 123:21
93:12, 129:13 138:13 22:14, 82:11, wyden
welcome widely 137:20, 139:6, 62:9, 62:10,
51:9 60:9 139:16 63:21, 64:17,
well-established willing worked 64:22, 65:4,
20:18 8:15, 49:3, 39:1 65:9, 65:11,
went 132:6 working 65:19, 66:1,
30:8, 43:7, willingness 5:9, 137:20 66:2, 66:7,
43:19, 58:14, 2:4, 83:12, works 66:20, 67:8,
69:4, 79:10, 84:9, 138:6 35:21 67:12
79:15, 121:13, winds world Y
121:18, 123:11, 5:12 2:22, 134:15 yeah
123:13, 127:18 wish worried 26:10, 98:17,
western 110:7 133:11 106:7, 131:9,
11:10 witch wouldn't 131:19
whatsoever 135:14 36:9, 53:15, year
18:9, 98:22, within 59:12, 83:15, 22:18, 22:19,
137:19 31:12, 36:18, 124:2, 126:16, 26:8, 122:6,
whenever 37:22, 38:2, 128:8 122:18, 133:2
81:4 50:3, 77:6, write years
whether 109:10, 112:2, 52:8 2:5, 3:16,
8:2, 10:9, 132:12 writing 14:20, 15:1,
10:16, 14:7, without 8:1, 51:21, 21:4, 34:18,
17:19, 24:3, 12:1, 32:5, 52:14, 53:18, 34:19, 71:16,
26:17, 41:8, 37:20, 44:18, 56:11, 68:21, 71:18, 118:13
53:11, 63:19, 73:12, 96:13, 95:5, 112:19, yesterday
66:8, 74:17, 118:19, 124:3 116:7, 116:11, 4:15, 34:6,
77:14, 103:10, witness 117:4, 128:19, 134:4
103:11, 115:11, 118:5 139:9
PLANET DEPOS
yield 2015 6
59:18, 96:19 134:8 62,000
york 2016 22:19
22:18, 46:10, 1:8, 2:16, 6th
47:3 4:12, 8:3, 13:3, 108:18, 126:8
yourself 14:10, 17:4, 7
4:6, 7:5, 10:5, 17:12, 79:3,
27:5, 27:9, 88:19, 90:3, 702
28:12, 29:3, 121:15, 123:9, 2:20
32:22, 38:12, 132:9, 132:18, 7th
69:1, 71:3, 137:7, 137:11 126:3
72:10, 129:10 2017 8
$ 3:15, 27:5, 85
$8 141:15 2:10
19:5 25 8th
1 17:3 51:13, 83:16,
27 83:21
10 8:12, 40:15,
17:21, 28:16 9
40:17, 42:13, 9th
100 79:3, 95:2
90:19 17:14, 28:15,
28 54:22, 69:2,
11 18:21, 27:14
52:3, 105:16 83:22, 89:7,
29 90:7, 97:14,
12 97:17
34:18, 118:13 120:13, 121:6,
2nd 122:18
14 17:22, 27:5,
46:9, 56:18, 69:8, 93:9,
56:21, 71:2, 93:21, 120:7
108:6, 108:10, 3
141:15
141 33
1:21 71:16
148413 35
1:20 4:14, 15:1,
15 97:18
108:6, 108:10, 35,000
118:13 19:6
19 3rd
51:11 77:7, 124:7
1968 4
22:21 45.2
2 27:14
20 5
14:19, 98:6, 52,000
109:10, 115:8 22:18
2012 5th
122:18 121:15, 123:9
PLANET DEPOS

Full Testimony Transcript of Attorney General Jeff Sessions - June 13, 2017

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Full Testimony Transcript of Attorney General Jeff Sessions - June 13, 2017

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Transcript of Testimony of AG Jeff

WORLDWIDE COURT REPORTING | INTERPRETATION | TRIAL SERVICES

1 CHAIRMAN BURR: I'd like to call the hearing

1 More often than not, the Committee conducts

1 have any meetings with Russian officials or their

1 episode to rest and look to the future.

1 we're proceeding on this investigation.

1 expected to talk to you as part of our investigation.

1 Russians. Senator Leahy later asked you in writing

1 points stood out.

1 We have a lot of work in order to follow up on

1 any other foreign adversaries cannot attack or

1 without answers. The American people deserve to know

1 As you know, the Deputy Attorney General has

1 recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian

1 country which I have served with honor for 35 years or

1 Franken this way, quote, "Senator Franken, I'm not

1 well as the brief encounter in July after a speech that

1 briefed on any investigative details, did not access

1 in investigations of a campaign if they served as a

1 discussed a conversation that he and I had about the

1 fact did that.

1 achieving this and different agendas, but that is his

1 the fraudsters and the terrorists we are coming after

1 press that the President was there, you were there,

1 at an event like this the President shook some hands.

1 delivery and the message he would make. That was my

1 may have occurred, that some say occurred in the

1 CHAIRMAN BURR: So would you --

1 CHAIRMAN BURR: So this could explain Director

1 CHAIRMAN BURR: Thank you, General Sessions.

1 have had with him because he had two additional

1 he had with President Trump. I think he had two with

1 as the Committee needs in the weeks and months ahead.

1 we'll be glad to provide appropriate responses to your

1 ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS: -- but I'm not

1 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: I'm aware of the

1 to answer based on executive privilege or what --

1 Department of Justice that we share, all of us do. We

1 confirmed. It's something that we both agreed to that

1 Franken, certainly this one didn't pop into your memory

1 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: Yes, sir.

1 VICE CHAIRMAN WARNER: And you were part of

1 was the next day that he said something, expressed

1 good to hear you talk about how important this Russian

1 out both Republicans and Democrats up here to tell them

1 I. But what was said that would suggest I participated

1 based upon your participation in the campaign, did you

1 or asked you to do any unlawful or illegal act since

1 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: Did you ever discuss

1 SENATOR FEINSTEIN: -- about the firing of

1 you say "The director of the FBI must be someone who

1 policies. And so that was a stunderous thing.

1 the meeting concluded. The President -- everyone got

1 terrorism, counter-terrorism briefing there. A number

1 about that private conversation. And I agreed with him

1 SENATOR RUBIO: Let me ask you this, if in

1 SENATOR RUBIO: Do you know who did or you

1 that there is no legal basis for this stonewalling. So

1 policies of the Department of Justice. You don't walk

1 respectfully, you're not answering the --

1 Wyden, he did not say that.

1 test. The President tweeted repeatedly about his anger

1 in the Department a long time. They knew that what had