Rrep. Adam Schiff said Jeff Sessions saying he'll recuse himself is "not enough." | Getty Schiff: Sessions' explanations on Russia meetings 'not credible'

Rep. Adam Schiff said Friday morning that Attorney General Jeff Sessions' explanations of why he didn’t disclose two meetings with the Russian ambassador to the Senate are “not credible.”

“You don't, I think, treat a visit in your office by the Russian ambassador as something casual, something not memorable,” the California Democrat said on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe." “And when you're asked about your contacts with Russians in the Senate, that should have been disclosed. I think he knew it should have been disclosed.”


Sessions met twice with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in 2016 but said he “did not have communications with the Russians” during his confirmation hearing. The attorney general recused himself Thursday afternoon from any investigation involving the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia.

Schiff, one of many Democrats to call for Sessions to resign Thursday, said although perjury has a high standard, that is not the standard to evaluate Sessions’ ability to do his job.

“The standard is, can he carry out these responsibilities with the cloud hanging over him, with the breadth of the Russian investigation that reaches many parts of the department,” Schiff asked. “I don't think he can.”

Schiff said the recusal is “not enough,” partially because it covers only correspondence between Trump associates and Russians before the election. For example, former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s discussion with Kislyak, which he misled Vice President Mike Pence about and eventually led to Flynn’s resignation, occurred after the election.

“I don't think we'll have the confidence of the decisions being made,” he said.