Posted on 10/18/2017 1:01:15 PM PDT by dontreadthis
FULL TITLE:Sessions: Justice Will Review Concerns About Russian Payments to Clintons Before Uranium Deal with Putin Attorney General Jeff Sessions declined to confirm or deny whether or not the Justice Department is investigating if Russian payments to the Clintons improperly influenced a decision by the Obama administration to approve a Russian takeover of a U.S. uranium mine.
In response to questioning by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) during a Wednesday Judiciary Committee hearing, Sessions said only that the Justice Department would "take such actions as is appropriate."
"Mr. Chairman, we will hear your concerns. The Department of Justice will take such actions as is appropriate, I know," Sessions said, noting that "some people involved have gone to jail in that transaction already."
"Without confirming or denying the existence of any particular investigation, I would say I hear your concerns and they will be reviewed," he added.
Grassley, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, is demanding more answers about the Russian takeover of a U.S. uranium mine—a sale approved during the Obama administration.
That sale, which gave Moscow control of more than 20 percent of U.S. uranium, is under new scrutiny after Tuesday reports that the FBI was investigating the Russian nuclear agency that acquired the uranium mine for a global bribery scheme before the sale was approved and that key members of Congress were not informed about the Russian scheme.
The reports noted that the Clinton Foundation received millions of dollars from Russian parties with ties to the transaction.
Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with then-Attorney General Eric Holder, served on one of the agencies that approved the sale between Uranium One and Rosatom, a Russian state-owned nuclear agency. That agency is the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
Grassley wants to know if CFIUS and other U.S. agencies that signed off on the transaction were aware of the criminal FBI probe into a Russian bribery scheme. As attorney general, Holder would have known about the FBI probe.
He also pressed Sessions on whether he believed it would be proper for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to conduct any review or investigation of the Obama administration's handling of the uranium sale to the Russians. Rosenstein was the U.S. attorney in Maryland that investigated and prosecuted the Russian bribery scheme.
Sessions said that decision would be Rosenstein's to make, although he said he hoped that he would consult senior Justice Department ethics officials.
"It would be his decision, he is a man of integrity and ability," Sessions said. "If he feels that he has an inability to proceed with this investigation, it would be his responsibility to make that determination and should consult as I told you I would, as I have done, with the senior ethics committee at the department."
Grassley also highlighted the millions the Clinton Foundation received from "interested parties in the transaction," as well as a $500,000 payment former President Bill Clinton received for a speech in Moscow before a Russian-government aligned bank. Grassley noted that Clinton speech took place the same month the Russians began the process of acquiring the U.S. uranium mine.
"This fact-pattern raises serious concerns about the improper influence on the process by the previous—by the Clintons during the Obama administration," Grassley said. "Has the Justice Department fully investigated whether the Russians compromised the Obama administration's decision to smooth the way for this transaction? And if not, why not?"
Sessions responded that it would be inappropriate to disclose whether the Justice Department is looking into those payments to the Clintons.
"Mr. Chairman, we are working hard to maintain discipline in the department—it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment on any ongoing investigations," he said.
Two years ago and again last week, Grassley said he wrote to the Justice Department about Russia's acquisition of Uranium One.
"It turns out that during the transaction, the Justice Department had an ongoing criminal investigation for bribery, extortion, and money laundering into officials for the Russian company making that purchase," Grassley said at the start of the Judiciary Committee hearing.
"Russians involved in the conspiracy were reportedly coordinating with high-level officials close to Vladimir Putin," he added.
While this FBI probe was going on, he noted, the Clinton Foundation reportedly received millions of dollars from interested parties in the transaction.
"Then-Secretary Clinton's State Department was one of the agencies that gave a thumb's up to the takeover. Somehow, despite all this, the Obama administration approved the transaction," he said.
“, noting that “some people involved have gone to jail in that transaction already.”
Who would that be?
L
What’s left of DOJ may actually look into this, probably about 2020, we will know, nothing. DC, slow is the goal; crawl everything resembling justice...
Maybe it's my software protection but Liberty News is a virus/malware farm.
All the while Herr Mueller is busy covering up everything he can find that would implicate the former admin.
Yeah... the huge concerns are....a couple of reports are doing Jeff Sessions job! They are giving him this information on a silver platter.
This was right in front of his nose and he didn’t know about it? Sorry, I just don’t believe it. At the very least...he seems to not be able to do his job.
So what now? Is he going to have an internal review orchestrated by the very same people that have committed the crimes?
Trump isn’t the public; he’s the POTUS. If Sessions were investigating anybody he would let his boss know. He needn’t give details. Just let him know, for instance, that investigators are working hard re Hillary’s myriad crimes. The fact that Trump is still needling Sessions tells us all we need to know.
It’s a start.
Appropriate action = that happened eight years ago so it is beyond statute of limitations so case closed no action. By the way our DARE program is going well.
Mr Sessions must be doin’ a lot of review’n.
I’m supporting the theory that Matt Drudge has been blackmailed.
When think of the DOJ and Sessions, I think of snails snoring.
We grok quite well. The deal was in 2010 and the illegal activity before that. The three main players in Trump’s Russian investigating were involved and were knee deep in bribery crap.
Session said the people involved are honorable folks and can determine themselves if they want to investigate or have a conflict. No worries.
I fail to grok how in the hell Comey’s best friend can lead an investigation that started because of an illegal leak by an ex-FBI director (no justice). With a made up golden shower story as the motivator. The Justice Department is a disgrace to this country and lead by a weak coward.
We all know what the Clinton’s got out of this deal. What did Holder or others involved get?
On Wednesday Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) asked Attorney General Sessions if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will be allowed to investigate himself regarding new information on the Hillary Clinton Uranium One scandal.Excerpted from the "WTH? Attorney General Sessions Says Rosenstein Can Investigate HIMSELF in Uranium One Criminal Probe (Video)."Attorney General Sessions: It would be his decision.
Here is the 2:52 video.
Sessions is completely compromised or flatlined or both.
“I wonder who, specifically, owns Sessions.”
Good question, and could be asked about many. We are at a point at which I think we are going to have to change our system fairly dramatically to deal with the collusion and criminality in politics.
No doubt Jeffy put Rosenrat in charge of it.
Couldn’t we get an AG with some FIGHT in him, for Heaven’s Sake - Pleeeeeeeeeeze !!!!
DOJ will get back to you at some indefinite time in the future.
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