Al Franken: Jeff Sessions Perjured Himself

Senate Judiciary Committee member Al Franken thinks Attorney General Jeff Sessions committed perjury during his confirmation hearings—and he wants him to explain himself in another appearance before the committee. With his failure to disclose talks with Russia's ambassador under questioning, "it's hard to come to any other conclusion than he just perjured himself," the Democratic senator tells CNN. Sessions wrote to the committee Monday denying he had answered questions incorrectly, and Franken says the "ridiculous response" is what he was waiting for before accusing the attorney general of lying. Sessions has recused himself from any investigation into alleged Russian election interference.

"Senator Franken ... I did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it," Sessions said during the January confirmation hearing after being asked about possible Trump campaign ties to Russia. "I did not mention communications I had had with the Russian ambassador over the years because the question did not ask about them," Sessions said Monday, per the Hill. In a tense Judiciary Committee exchange Tuesday, Franken rejected Republican Sen. Charles Grassley's accusation that he had asked a "gotcha" question, the Washington Post reports. "Look at the tape," Franken told Grassley. (More Jeff Sessions stories.)