Democratic senators warn Sessions they want answers on Trump conversations
By JOSH GERSTEIN 10/11/2017 06:05 PM EDT
Democratic senators are warning Attorney General Jeff Sessions that when he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week, he should detail his conversations with Donald Trump or else announce that the president is invoking executive privilege to protect those communications.
All nine Democrats on the panel sent Sessions a letter Wednesday, noting that during his June appearance at the Senate Intelligence Committee, he repeatedly declined to answer such questions, saying the president had the right to decide whether to assert executive privilege over the discussions. That kind of deferral won't fly this time, the Democrats said.
"We expect that when you appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 18th, you will have determined whether the president will invoke executive privilege as to specific topics and will be prepared to answer completely all questions in those areas on which he has not. As to the former category, we will expect you to provide the Committee with a list of issues over which the privilege has affirmatively been asserted," the lawmakers wrote in a letter organized by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
A spokeswoman for Sessions declined to comment on the letter.
more
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/11/sessions-senate-democrats-trump-243686?lo=ap_c1