Embattled US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from any investigation into his alleged links with the Russian officials during the 2016 presidential elections.
"I have decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the US," Sessions said in a statement.
His remarks came after President Donald Trump said that he had "total" confidence in Sessions and he should not recuse himself from the Russian probe. However, Sessions decided against Trump's wish.
“This announcement should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation or suggestive of the scope of any such investigation,” Sessions said.
"Consistent with the succession order for the Department of Justice, Acting Deputy Attorney General and US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dane Boente shall act as and perform the functions of the Attorney General with respect to any matters from which I have recused myself to the extent they exist," he said.
Sessions said that during the course of the confirmation proceedings on his nomination to be the US Attorney General, he advised the Senate Judiciary Committee that “if a specific matter arose where I believed my impartiality might reasonably be questioned, I would consult with Department Ethics officials regarding the most appropriate way to proceed.”
"During the course of the last several weeks, I have met with the relevant senior Career Department officials to discuss whether I should recuse myself from any matters arising from the campaigns for President of the US," Sessions said.
Donald Trump said that Sessions could have been more accurate in what he said about his contacts with Russian officials but blamed Democrats for blowing up the controversy for political reasons.
“Jeff Sessions is an honest man. He did not say anything wrong. He could have stated his response more accurately, but it was clearly not intentional,” Trump said in a statement.
"The Democrats are overplaying their hand," Trump said in the statement. "It is a total witch-hunt!"
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