Two members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus on Thursday called for Jeff Sessions to step down as attorney general, arguing that he’s done a poor job of preventing leaks about the Russia probe and quelling news stories about the investigation.
In an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, Reps. Mark Meadows (R-NC) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) complain that the Russia probe has dominated headlines for the past year and that the focus on the probe has “frequently masked the substantial accomplishments of President Trump’s administration.” They also charge that there is still no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, questioning why the investigations into the matter have continued with few results.
The congressmen go on to question the accuracy of a recent New York Times report that comments made by low-level Trump aide George Papadopoulos in the spring of 2016 helped motivate the FBI to launch the Russia probe. They instead suggest that the infamous Trump dossier played more of a role in starting the probe.
Meadows and Jordan complain that the FBI has done little to answer questions about the origin of the FBI probe and charge that Sessions has been ineffective in stemming leaks about the investigation from the FBI and Justice Department.
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the Russia investigation, but it would appear he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world. It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations. If Sessions can’t address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general?” they wrote. “Sadly, it seems the answer is now.”
Jordan has previously pushed Sessions to name a special counsel to investigate how the FBI approached the Trump dossier, indulging a theory popular among conservatives that the FBI worked with Democrats to place focus on the dossier.
