Transcript for Sen. Cornyn questions Jeff Sessions

Attorney general sessions. Former director komen is loaded letter to FBI employees when he you know she terminated. Started this way said I've long believed that a president can fire an FBI director for any reason or no reason all. You agree with that. Yes and I think that was. Differing and decide because. I believe we're gonna have a news. An excellent FBI director. A person into his Smart disciplined with integrity and proven judgment. That would be good for the bureau and I think that statement. Probably was of valuable thing for director Communists in appreciate that he did. Just to reiterate. The timeline of your refusal. To end the Rosen steam. Memo. And your letter to the president recommending the termination director combing he recused. From the Russian investigation on March the second correct. They are fall more or she is old took place on that the letter that you wrote forwarding the Rosen Stein. Memo to the president as a firm basis for director co mes. Termination was dated made the night. A couple of months after you recuse from the Russian investigation correct probably that's correct so. Isn't it true that the Russian investigation. Did not factor into the your recommendation of fire director combing. That is correct. That the memo ran them. Written by the deputy attorney general. Your letter. To the president forwarding that recommendation. Didn't mention Russia at all is that your recollection that is correct. So let's review. What. The basis was. For the deputy attorney general Rosen Stein's recommendation. He wrote in his memo on May the Nike said I cannot defend. The directors handling of the conclusion of the investigation of secretary Clinton's emails. And I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment. That he was mistaken and of course he's talking about director combing. He went on to say the director. That was director call me at the time was wrong. To usurp the attorney general's authority on July the fifth 2016. Year were call that was the date of the press conference he held. He went on to say. That the FBI director is never empowered. To supplant federal prosecutors. And assumed command. Of the Justice Department. Finally he said Tom pounding the air. The director ignored another longstanding principle what we do not hold press conferences. To release derogatory information about the subject of a decline. Criminal. Investigation. In fact there is. Written policy from the department justices they're not. Entitled election year sensitivities are you familiar with that with the prohibition of the Justice Department. Making announcements or taking other actions are will be Mike. Interfere with the normal. Election. I am generally familiar with that I'm some of those rather Odom memoranda after mine. Time in the department well let me let me re always been roof about it though. Let me read day. Just an excerpt from a memo from the attorney general march 9 2012. And title election your sensitivities. Says law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select. The timing of investigative steps were criminal charges for the purpose of affecting any election. Or for the purpose of giving an advantage. Or disadvantage to any candidate or political party. Such a purpose is inconsistent with the department's mission and with the principles. Of federal prosecution do you agree with that. On essentially yes. So. What essentially the deputy attorney general said is that former director combing. Violated. Department of Justice. Directors. When he held a press conference on July the fifth 2016. He announced that. Secretary Clinton was extremely careless with classified email. And went on do release other derogatory information including his conclusion that she was extremely careless. But yet went on to say that no reasonable prosecutor would prosecute her. That is not the role. Of the FBI director is it that is a job for the prosecutors at the Department of Justice that's what was meant by. Deputy attorney general rose's team when he said the director Komi usurped the role of the Department of Justice prosecutors. Is that right that is correct and on former attorney general bill Barr wrote an op. Oh. Up recently in which he said he had a say in that attorney general lynch had urged. Mr. com it to make this. Announcements so she wouldn't have to do it. But in fact it appears he did it without her approval on totally and that is a pretty stunning. Thing. Not it is a stunning thing and it violates fundamental powers and then when he reaffirmed. That. The rightness he believed of his decision. On May third I think it laws. That was additional confirmation that the director. And stinking was not. Clear.

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