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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAfter Sessions admits that he met russian ambassador twice, news of third meeting surface.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeff-sessions-sergey-kislyak-mayflower_us_58c05639e4b0d1078ca37225?46af28tjfr996bt9&Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced to amend prior testimony to Congress this week, acknowledging that contrary to an earlier statement, hed encountered the Russian ambassador to the United States twice in the last year.
Sessions appears to have left out a third instance in which they crossed paths.
In April of 2016, Sessions attended a VIP reception at a hotel in Washington, D.C., with President Donald Trump and roughly two dozen guests, including four ambassadors. One of them was Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The cocktail meet-and-greet took place in a private room at the Mayflower Hotel near the White House. Shortly thereafter, Trump delivered a foreign policy speech in the hotels ballroom, where he called for improved U.S.-Russia relations. Kislyak was seated in the front row.
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- "We never met."
- "You met twice. Here's evidence."
- "Well, you got me confused. Okay, we met twice but my answer was technically correct."
- "Okay... What about that private party you both attended? That means you met three times, not twice and not zero. Here's evidence."
- "..."
politicat
(9,808 posts)BainsBane
(53,038 posts)Give it was a reception with a number of ambassadors. That's not the same as a private meeting during the heat of the election. That he didn't forget.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)Even if each incident wasn't significant, add up enough incidents and there comes a threshold where you start remembering somebody.
BainsBane
(53,038 posts)Now we are looking at every encounter between Trump staffers and surrogates with Russians. In hindsight they look like a pattern, but all of the meetings aren't relevant. I believe Trump and his campaign is in deep with the Russians. Don't mistake my point. I just don't think a reception with several ambassadors and dignitaries is suspicious.
sunonmars
(8,656 posts)or the conversations that were had......its very easy to get a quiet corner of a room to pass details on.
Tanuki
(14,919 posts)such as this could provide "cover" for people who knew that their office schedules, etc. might be scrutinized and whose phone calls might be monitored. Chatting at a reception could be a planned and coordinated meeting made to appear as nothing more than an exchange of social pleasantries at a chance encounter.
Tom Rinaldo
(22,913 posts)No, I don't think you simply forget that, especially not after it becomes a matter of public question. We are talking about Russia, not Armenia. A rather small V.I.P. private gathering, there was a reason why each person there was invited. And Sessions wasn't just a guest, he had a major role in the campaign. It would have been plausible for Sessions to say that he didn't remember having any conversation of any real substance with him there. But for some reason the Trump Team always defaults to total denial until evidence surfaces to the contrary.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)There has to be a Special prosecutor with subpoena powers appointed to investigate Trump's administration Russian Spy contacts.