Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that if he is approved by the Senate as attorney general, he will recuse himself in all matters related to federal investigations of Hillary Clinton.
In Sessions’ Senate confirmation hearing, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, noted that the Republican Sessions, like many in his party, was heavily critical of Clinton’s use of a private email server and of the operation of her family charity, the Clinton Foundation.
The FBI, which is overseen by the Justice Department, opened investigations into both matters during the presidential campaign. The email investigation, which centered on the mishandling of classified information, was closed in July but reopened in October after the discovery of new emails. FBI director James Comey closed the investigation again in early November, clearing Clinton of any charges.
Last month, The Daily Caller News Foundation reported that the FBI directed its New York field office to continue its corruption investigation of the Clinton Foundation. (RELATED: FBI Directs New York Field Office To Continue Clinton Foundation Probe)
Sessions acknowledged that his statements criticizing Clinton could raise questions about his objectivity.
“I, like a lot of people, made comments about the issues in that campaign with regard to Secretary Clinton and some of the comments I made, I do believe that could place my objectivity in question,” Sessions told Grassley.
“I believe the proper thing for me to do would be to recuse myself from any questions involving those kind of investigations that involve Secretary Clinton that were raised during the campaign, or could be otherwise connected to it.”
Grassley pressed Sessions on whether that meant he would recuse himself from both the Clinton email and Clinton Foundation probes.
“Yes,” Sessions pledged.
Loretta Lynch, the current attorney general, refused to recuse herself from the Clinton email investigation during the campaign despite calls for her to do so because of a secret airplane meeting she had with Bill Clinton while the investigation was ongoing.
Sessions’ promise prompted speculation from some that the Trump administration would appoint a special counsel to handle any Clinton-related matters.
Tom Fitton, the president of the watchdog group Judicial Watch, wondered if a special counsel is in the offing.
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