House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, left, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, center, and others, arrive for a Republican strategy session led by House Speaker Paul Ryan, Tuesday, Feb. 14. | AP Photo Chaffetz calls on Sessions to recuse himself from Russia probe

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz on Thursday morning said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation into ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian officials, joining a growing number of Republicans calling for such a move.

“AG Sessions should clarify his testimony and recuse himself,” Chaffetz tweeted, after a series of reports spilled out about Sessions meeting twice with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak last year, while Sessions served as a chief adviser to Trump’s campaign. Sessions, during his confirmation hearing, had testified that he did not have communications with the Russians during Trump’s campaign.


Sessions said late Wednesday night that he “never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign. I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false.”

Earlier on Thursday, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said “it would be easier” for an investigation into ties between Trump’s associates and Russian officials if Sessions recused himself.

“I think, the trust of the American people, you recuse yourself in these situations,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I just think for any investigation going forward, you want to make sure everybody trusts the investigation ... that there’s no doubt within the investigation.

Sessions so far has expressed openness to recusing himself, but has not definitively said he would do so.