U.S. spy agencies intercepted communications between the Russian ambassador to the U.S. and the Kremlin in which the ambassador told his superiors he discussed the Trump campaign with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, reported The Washington Post Friday.
The spies heard Ambassador Sergey Kislyak tell his superiors he discussed 2016 campaign material with Sessions, according to unnamed current and former officials who talked to WaPo. The two men talked about Trump and his position on Russia, as well as how relations between the two countries would look with Trump as president, one former official said.
Kislyak told his superiors he and Sessions met in April, 2016, at the Washington, D.C. Mayflower Hotel, before Trump gave his foreign policy speech, and another time during the Republican National Convention.
The officials who talked to WaPo about the alleged conversations pointed out that information coming from the Kremlin can be unreliable, and noted the conversation could have been intentionally leaked to U.S. spies in a disinformation campaign.
“Officials emphasized that the information contradicting Sessions comes from U.S. intelligence on Kislyak’s communications with the Kremlin, and they acknowledged that the Russian ambassador could have mischaracterized or exaggerated the nature of his interactions,” reported WaPo.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman declined to comment on the reliability of the WaPo report. “Obviously I cannot comment on the reliability of what anonymous sources describe in a wholly uncorroborated intelligence intercept that the Washington Post has not seen and that has not been provided to me,” the spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores, told WaPo.
Sessions has repeatedly denied any untoward contact with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign. During confirmation hearings to be attorney general, he said he did not talk about the campaign with them and that when he did meet with Kislyak, it was only due to him being a U.S. senator.
“I’m not aware of any of those activities,” Sessions said at the time. “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.” (RELATED: Report: Sessions Didn’t Disclose Contacts With Russian Officials)
Sessions also denied the charges again when he said he would be recusing himself from anything to do with the FBI investigation into the Russian meddling with the presidential election.
The Department of Justice did not return The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment in time for publication.
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