U.S. Department of Justice
Attorney Work Product // May Contain Material Protected Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee and would meet with foreign officials in that capacity.[1] But Sessions's staff reported, and Sessions himself acknowledged, that meeting requests from ambassadors increased substantially in 2016, as Sessions assumed a prominent role in the Trump Campaign and his name was mentioned for potential cabinet-level positions in a future Trump Administration.[2]
On September 8, 2016, Sessions met with Kislyak in his Senate office.[3] Sessions said that he believed he was doing the Campaign a service by meeting with foreign ambassadors, including Kislyak.[4] He was accompanied in the meeting by at least two of his Senate staff: Sandra Luff, his legislative director; and Pete Landrum, who handled military affairs.[5] The meeting lasted less than 30 minutes.[6] Sessions voiced concerns about Russia's sale of a missile-defense system to Iran, Russian planes buzzing U.S. military assets in the Middle East, and Russian aggression in emerging democracies such as Ukraine and Moldova.[7] Kislyak offered explanations on these issues and complained about NATO land forces in former Soviet-bloc countries that border Russia.[8] Landrum recalled that Kislyak referred to the presidential campaign as "an interesting campaign,"[9] and Sessions also recalled Kislyak saying that the Russian government was receptive to the overtures Trump had laid out during his campaign.[10] None of the attendees, though, remembered any discussion of Russian election interference or any request that Sessions convey information from the Russian government to the Trump Campaign.[11]
During the meeting, Kislyak invited Sessions to further discuss U.S.-Russia relations with him over a meal at the ambassador's residence.[12] Sessions was non-committal when Kislyak extended the invitation. After the meeting ended, Luff advised Sessions against accepting the one-on-one meeting with Kislyak, whom she assessed to be an "old school KGB guy."[13] Neither Luff nor Landrum recalled that Sessions followed up on the invitation or made any further effort to dine
- ↑ Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23-24; Luff 1/30/18 302, at 5.
- ↑ Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23-24; Luff 1/30/18 302, at 5; Landrum 2/27/18 302, at 3-5,
- ↑ Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23.
- ↑ Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23.
- ↑ Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23; Luff 1/30/18 302, at 5-6; Landrum 2/27/18 302, at 4-5 (stating he could not remember if election was discussed).
- ↑ Luff 1/30/18 302, at 6; Landrum 2/27/18 302, at 5.
- ↑ Luff 1/30/18 302, at 6; Landrum 2/27/18 302, at 4-5.
- ↑ Luff 1/30/18 302, at 6; Landrum 2/27/18 302 at 4-5.
- ↑ Landrum 2/27/18 302, at 5.
- ↑ Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23. Sessions also noted that ambassadors came to him for information about Trump and hoped he would pass along information to Trump. Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23-24.
- ↑ Sessions 1/17/18 302, at 23: Luff 1/30/18 302, at 6; Landrum 2/27/18 302, at 5.
- ↑ Luff 1/30/18 302, at 5; Landrum 2/27/18 302, at 4.
- ↑ Luff 1/30/18 302, at 5.
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