Answering a question about his take on the Russian election interference scandal during his confirmation hearing, attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE said he was not qualified to take a position on the intelligence community's conclusion that Russian tried to sway the outcome of the presidential election.

“I have done no research into [Russian hacking],” the Alabama Republican senator said in response to questions from Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Loeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' Quinnipiac poll shows Graham, Harrison tied in South Carolina Senate race MORE (R-S.C.).

The FBI, one of the three big intelligence agencies cited in the declassified report connecting attacks on the Democratic National Committee and others to the Russian government, is under the umbrella of the Department of Justice. Sessions would oversee the FBI as Attorney General.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sessions said he had no reason to think the investigations were conducted in bad faith.

Later, Sessions answered a question from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Sheldon WhitehouseRestaurant owner defends calamari as 'bipartisan' after Democratic convention appearance Warren calls on McConnell to bring Senate back to address Postal Service Senate Democrats demand answers on migrant child trafficking during pandemic MORE (D-R.I.) about the same topic, saying the U.S. was within its rights to pursue countermeasures against Russia.

"I do think it’s appropriate for a nation that feels it has been hacked and that information has been used to retaliate against those actions," Sessions said.