President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general strove at his confirmation Tuesday to assert his independence from the White House, saying he believed Russia had interfered with the 2016 presidential election, that a special counsel investigation shadowing Trump needs to move forward and that his predecessor made the correct call by recusing from the probe.

Those comments departed from Trump's own views and underscored Barr's efforts to reassure Democrats that he will not be a loyalist to a president who has appeared to demand it from law enforcement.

Trump has repeatedly castigated special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, calling it a "witch hunt," and lambasted and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for his recusal because of his work with the campaign.

"I will not be bullied into doing anything that I think is wrong, whether it be by editorial boards, Congress or the president," Barr said.

Barr repeatedly praised Mueller, who has been investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to sway the election, and sought to provide assurance he would not undermine his work. He called him a friend of 30 years and saying he couldn't imagine that Mueller would do anything that would justify his firing.

Barr would oversee the final stages of the investigation, and said that though he would consult with ethics officials on whether he would need to recuse because of a critical unsolicited memo to the Justice Department last year, the decision would be ultimately his.

He also disclosed having discussed Mueller with Trump during a meeting in 2017 when Barr declined to join his legal team.

Trump wanted to know what Mueller, who worked for Barr when he led the Justice Department between 1991 and 1993, was like.

Barr said he told Trump Mueller "is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such."

The nominee also said former FBI Director James Comey made the wrong decision by holding a news conference announcing he wasn't recommending charges in the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

Barr said if authorities aren't going to bring charges, then there should not be a news conference to detail derogatory information uncovered during the probe. Comey has defended his decision.

"That's not the way the Department of Justice does business," Barr said.

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide side shot of Barr testifying at confirmation hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I have a very good life. I love it, but I also want to help in this circumstance and I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody, whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president. I'm going to do what I think is right."

3. Cutaway of committee members

4. Cutaway of Sen. Lindsey Graham

5. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"It was a very brief meeting where essentially the president wanted to know, he said, 'Oh, you know Bob Mueller. How well do you know Bob Mueller?' And I told him how well I knew Bob Mueller and how you know the Barrs and Muellers were good friends and would be good friends when this is all over and so forth. And he was interested in that, wanted to know you know what I thought about, you know, Mueller's integrity and so forth and so on. And I said Bob is a, is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such. And he said something to the effect like, 'So are you envisioning some role here?' And I said, 'No actually, Mr. President, right now I couldn't do it. You know, I just, my personal and my professional obligations are such that I'm unable to do it.' So he asked me for my phone number, I gave it to him and I never heard from him again until..."

6. Wide shot of hearing

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"So will you commit, if confirmed, to both seeking and following the advice of the department's career ethics officials on whether you must recuse from the special counsel's investigation?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I will seek the advice of the career ethics personnel. But under the regulations, I make the decision as the head of the agency as to my own recusal. So, I certainly would consult with them and at the end of the day, I would make a decision in good faith based on the laws and the facts that are evident at that time."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"Are there any circumstances that would cause you to terminate the investigation, a component of or significantly restricted funding?"

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Under the under the regulations, Bob Mueller could only be terminated for good cause and I frankly, it's unimaginable to me that Bob would ever do anything that gave rise to good cause. But in theory, if something happened that was good cause, for me it would actually take more than that, it would have to be pretty grave and the public interest would essentially have to compel it. Because I believe right now the overarching public interest is to allow him to finish."

11. Wide shot of hearing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think Jim Comey is, as I've said, is an extremely gifted man who's served the country with distinction in many roles. But I thought that to the extent he, he actually announced a decision, was wrong. And the other thing is if you're not going to indict someone then you don't stand up there and unload negative information about the person. That's not the way the Department of Justice does business."

13. Wide shot of hearing

President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general strove at his confirmation Tuesday to assert his independence from the White House, saying he believed Russia had interfered with the 2016 presidential election, that a special counsel investigation shadowing Trump needs to move forward and that his predecessor made the correct call by recusing from the probe.

Those comments departed from Trump's own views and underscored Barr's efforts to reassure Democrats that he will not be a loyalist to a president who has appeared to demand it from law enforcement.

Trump has repeatedly castigated special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, calling it a "witch hunt," and lambasted and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for his recusal because of his work with the campaign.

"I will not be bullied into doing anything that I think is wrong, whether it be by editorial boards, Congress or the president," Barr said.

Barr repeatedly praised Mueller, who has been investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to sway the election, and sought to provide assurance he would not undermine his work. He called him a friend of 30 years and saying he couldn't imagine that Mueller would do anything that would justify his firing.

Barr would oversee the final stages of the investigation, and said that though he would consult with ethics officials on whether he would need to recuse because of a critical unsolicited memo to the Justice Department last year, the decision would be ultimately his.

He also disclosed having discussed Mueller with Trump during a meeting in 2017 when Barr declined to join his legal team.

Trump wanted to know what Mueller, who worked for Barr when he led the Justice Department between 1991 and 1993, was like.

Barr said he told Trump Mueller "is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such."

The nominee also said former FBI Director James Comey made the wrong decision by holding a news conference announcing he wasn't recommending charges in the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

Barr said if authorities aren't going to bring charges, then there should not be a news conference to detail derogatory information uncovered during the probe. Comey has defended his decision.

"That's not the way the Department of Justice does business," Barr said.

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide side shot of Barr testifying at confirmation hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I have a very good life. I love it, but I also want to help in this circumstance and I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody, whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president. I'm going to do what I think is right."

3. Cutaway of committee members

4. Cutaway of Sen. Lindsey Graham

5. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"It was a very brief meeting where essentially the president wanted to know, he said, 'Oh, you know Bob Mueller. How well do you know Bob Mueller?' And I told him how well I knew Bob Mueller and how you know the Barrs and Muellers were good friends and would be good friends when this is all over and so forth. And he was interested in that, wanted to know you know what I thought about, you know, Mueller's integrity and so forth and so on. And I said Bob is a, is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such. And he said something to the effect like, 'So are you envisioning some role here?' And I said, 'No actually, Mr. President, right now I couldn't do it. You know, I just, my personal and my professional obligations are such that I'm unable to do it.' So he asked me for my phone number, I gave it to him and I never heard from him again until..."

6. Wide shot of hearing

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"So will you commit, if confirmed, to both seeking and following the advice of the department's career ethics officials on whether you must recuse from the special counsel's investigation?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I will seek the advice of the career ethics personnel. But under the regulations, I make the decision as the head of the agency as to my own recusal. So, I certainly would consult with them and at the end of the day, I would make a decision in good faith based on the laws and the facts that are evident at that time."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"Are there any circumstances that would cause you to terminate the investigation, a component of or significantly restricted funding?"

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Under the under the regulations, Bob Mueller could only be terminated for good cause and I frankly, it's unimaginable to me that Bob would ever do anything that gave rise to good cause. But in theory, if something happened that was good cause, for me it would actually take more than that, it would have to be pretty grave and the public interest would essentially have to compel it. Because I believe right now the overarching public interest is to allow him to finish."

11. Wide shot of hearing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think Jim Comey is, as I've said, is an extremely gifted man who's served the country with distinction in many roles. But I thought that to the extent he, he actually announced a decision, was wrong. And the other thing is if you're not going to indict someone then you don't stand up there and unload negative information about the person. That's not the way the Department of Justice does business."

13. Wide shot of hearing

Breaking with the US president, the lawyer Donald Trump picked to lead the FBI declared Wednesday that he does not believe a special counsel investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign is a "witch hunt."

Christopher Wray, the former high-ranking Justice Department official whom Trump nominated last month, also told senators at his confirmation hearing that he would never let politics get in the way of the bureau's mission.

The FBI's work will be driven only by "the facts, the law and the impartial pursuit of justice," he said, asserting his independence. "My loyalty is to the Constitution and the rule of law. They have been my guideposts throughout my career, and I will continue to adhere to them no matter the test."

Trump has repeatedly derided as a "hoax" and a "witch hunt" an ongoing investigation by the FBI and Robert Mueller, the former FBI director selected in May as the special counsel to oversee the probe.

Wray, selected for the FBI job last month after Trump fired James Comey, made clear that he disagreed with the characterization.

POOL

Washington,D.C. - 12 July 2017

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"From what we've seen from the White House, they may be expecting your loyalty, as the president did with Directory Comey. You told me yesterday there's been no question by anybody in the White House asking you for a pledge of loyalty, is that correct?"

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"That's correct, Senator. My loyalty is to the Constitution, to the rule of law and to the mission of the FBI and no one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process and I sure as heck didn't offer one."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"If the president asks you to do something unlawful or unethical, what do you say?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"First, I would try to talk him out of it and if that failed, I would resign."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"If I got a call from somebody saying the Russian government wants to help Lindsey Graham get re-elected, they've got dirt on Lindsey Graham's opponent, should I take that meeting?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"Well, Senator, I would think you'd want to consult with some good legal advisers before you did that."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"So the answer is, should I call the FBI... you're going to be the director of the FBI, pal. So here's what I want you to tell every politician: if you get a call from somebody suggesting that a foreign government wants to help you by disparaging your opponent, tell us all to call the FBI."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"To the members of this committee, any threat or effort to interfere with our elections from any nation state or any non-state actor is the kind of thing the FBI would want to know."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"Is Russia our friend or our enemy?"

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"Senator, I think Russia is a foreign nation that we have to deal with very warily."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"Do you think they're an adversary of the United States?"

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"In some situations, yes."

13. Wide of hearing

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee (on Comey press conference on Hillary Clinton email investigation):

"I can't imagine a situation where, as FBI director, I would be giving a press conference on an uncharged individual, much less talk in detail about it."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"I'm asking you, as the future FBI director, do you consider this endeavor (Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation) a witch hunt?"

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt."

17. Wide of hearing

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"It's not ever been my practice to blur the line between FBI investigator and Department of Justice prosecutor. It's never been my practice to speak publicly as a prosecutor or as a department official about uncharged individuals. I think those policies are important, I think they're in place for a reason. And I would expect to comply with them."

19. Wide of hearing

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:

"No one has asked me for any loyalty oath and I wouldn't offer one. As I said, my loyalty is to the Constitution, the rule of law and the mission of the FBI."

21. Wide of hearing

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Tuesday he's seen no basis for firing Robert Mueller, the former FBI director he appointed as special counsel to oversee an investigation into potential coordination between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

Rosenstein repeatedly conveyed his support for Mueller's role at a Senate hearing, held the morning after a close friend of President Donald Trump was quoted in a television interview as saying he was considering dismissing Mueller.

Rosenstein testified that he is the only one who has the authority to fire Mueller, who was appointed following the May 9 ousting of James Comey as FBI director, and that he had seen no good cause to do so. He said he would agree to dismiss Mueller only if there were a legitimate basis to do so. An order from the president would not necessarily qualify, he said.

POOL

Washington - 13 June 2017

1. Wide of housing

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. James Lankford, (R) Oklahoma:

"Is there anything to some secret plan that out there from you or anyone in this administration to try to go and remove the special counsel?"

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General:

"There is no plan that involves me. No. Senator."

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. James Lankford, (R) Oklahoma:

"I would say no one in America is above the law and no one in America is not faced with accountability and checks and balance. Every one of us has checks and balances, the president, every member of the cabinet, the vice president, every judge has checks and balances in the system. I can't seem to understand the fascination to say we need to create some special counsel that would be the only person in America that has no accountability structure anywhere for anything."

5. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. Chris Van Hollen: (D) Maryland:

"My question relates to the definition of good cause because you were very clear in your testimony that the authority to remove a special counsel is based on a finding of good cause. Is that correct?"

Rosenstein: Yes. that's right.

Van hollen: And is an order from the president to fire the special counsel good cause?

Rosenstein: It doesn't matter who the order comes from. Good cause would be based on the reasons for the proposed removal.

Van hollen: Right. And removing the special counsel in order to prevent the special counsel from pursuing the investigation, that would not constitute good cause, correct?

Rosenstein: Correct.

Van hollen: So, if somebody else were to fire the special counsel. In other words, if the president were to find somebody to do it, my question is what is the protection in that good cause definition? In your view, could the special counsel contest his firing if the special counsel did not believe it was good cause?

Rosenstein: Senator, I hope I won't have to answer that hypothetical. The purpose of that regulation, the folks who wrote it put a lot of thought into it and they anticipated that people would follow the rules. Your question is what if someone doesn't follow the rules? What happens next? We have a lot of very well-informed folks and great lawyers in the department who would deal with that if were to arise, but I do no anticipate that it's going to arise."

6. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"Do you have any doubt that the 17 intelligence agencies' report that was submitted last year or early this year, that Russia interfered in our election is accurate?

Rosenstein: Senator, this is an issue that was discussed at my confirmation hearing and several of you have attended that. At that point I had access only to the public information.

Graham: So what can you tell us now?

Rosenstein: I now have access to classified information and I think that assessment made by the intelligence community is justified based on the investigation and the information they had."

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Tuesday he's seen no basis for firing Robert Mueller, the former FBI director he appointed as special counsel to oversee an investigation into potential coordination between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

Rosenstein repeatedly conveyed his support for Mueller's role at a Senate hearing, held the morning after a close friend of President Donald Trump was quoted in a television interview as saying he was considering dismissing Mueller.

Rosenstein testified that he is the only one who has the authority to fire Mueller, who was appointed following the May 9 ousting of James Comey as FBI director, and that he had seen no good cause to do so. He said he would agree to dismiss Mueller only if there were a legitimate basis to do so. An order from the president would not necessarily qualify, he said.

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

1. Wide of housing

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. James Lankford, (R) Oklahoma:

"Is there anything to some secret plan that out there from you or anyone in this administration to try to go and remove the special counsel?"

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General:

"There is no plan that involves me. No. Senator."

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. James Lankford, (R) Oklahoma:

"I would say no one in America is above the law and no one in America is not faced with accountability and checks and balance. Every one of us has checks and balances, the president, every member of the cabinet, the vice president, every judge has checks and balances in the system. I can't seem to understand the fascination to say we need to create some special counsel that would be the only person in America that has no accountability structure anywhere for anything."

5. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. Chris Van Hollen: (D) Maryland:

"My question relates to the definition of good cause because you were very clear in your testimony that the authority to remove a special counsel is based on a finding of good cause. Is that correct?"

Rosenstein: Yes. that's right.

Van hollen: And is an order from the president to fire the special counsel good cause?

Rosenstein: It doesn't matter who the order comes from. Good cause would be based on the reasons for the proposed removal.

Van hollen: Right. And removing the special counsel in order to prevent the special counsel from pursuing the investigation, that would not constitute good cause, correct?

Rosenstein: Correct.

Van hollen: So, if somebody else were to fire the special counsel. In other words, if the president were to find somebody to do it, my question is what is the protection in that good cause definition? In your view, could the special counsel contest his firing if the special counsel did not believe it was good cause?

Rosenstein: Senator, I hope I won't have to answer that hypothetical. The purpose of that regulation, the folks who wrote it put a lot of thought into it and they anticipated that people would follow the rules. Your question is what if someone doesn't follow the rules? What happens next? We have a lot of very well-informed folks and great lawyers in the department who would deal with that if were to arise, but I do no anticipate that it's going to arise."

6. SOUNDBITE (English): Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"Do you have any doubt that the 17 intelligence agencies' report that was submitted last year or early this year, that Russia interfered in our election is accurate?

Rosenstein: Senator, this is an issue that was discussed at my confirmation hearing and several of you have attended that. At that point I had access only to the public information.

Graham: So what can you tell us now?

Rosenstein: I now have access to classified information and I think that assessment made by the intelligence community is justified based on the investigation and the information they had."

Democratic Sen. Al Franken is accusing Attorney General Jeff Sessions of "moving the goal posts" in denying his interactions with the Russian ambassador.

In a testy exchange, Franken confronted Sessions about his testimony in January, in which he said he had no communications with Russians. Sessions later had to recuse himself from the Justice Department's investigation of Trump campaign ties to Russia after it was revealed he had conversations with the ambassador. Franken says his explanations of those interactions continue to change.

But Sessions, visibly frustrated and voice rising, called Franken's line of questioning unfair. He says he answered the question as a surrogate of the Trump campaign. Sessions says he may have discussed Trump's campaign positions with the ambassador but insists he did not have a continuing exchange of information with him.

Sessions also says he has not been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators.

Mueller has been investigating potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March, before Mueller was appointed, but he is seen as a possible witness because of his involvement in the May firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, asked Sessions if he had been interviewed. Sessions at first told Leahy that he would have to ask Mueller that question, but then later answered the question by saying no.

The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has spoken to Mueller's team.

Sessions is also refusing to pledge that he won't seek to jail journalists for doing their jobs.

Under questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Sessions said he could not make that "blanket" commitment.

His position is a reversal of the stance taken by attorneys general in the Obama administration, who had said they would not seek to imprison members of the news media who were doing their jobs

The Trump administration has announced an aggressive crackdown on leaks of national security information to journalists.

POOL

Washington - 18 October 2017

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont (off-screen):

"Have you been interviewed or been requested to be interviewed by the special counsel either in connection with Director Comey's firing, the Russia investigation, or your own contact with Russian officials?"

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well I'd be pleased to answer that. I'm not sure I should, without clearing that with the special counsel... what do you think?"

3. UPSOUND (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"I'm just asking... have you been interviewed by them?"

4. UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"No."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"You haven't been interviewed by the special counsel or in any way shape or manner?"

6. UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"The answer is no."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"First, if that's the main reason the president wanted to fire him (James Comey) -- his jumping into the email investigation and taking it over in an unprecedented way, which I agree with you, why did it take so long?"

8. UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"The investigation?"

UPSOUND (English) Sen. Graham: "No, the firing." (long silence by Sessions)

UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "You mean why did the president..."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Graham:

"We knew -- the president knew, when he was inaugurated that Comey jumped into the middle of the Clinton email investigation, took the job of the attorney general over. If that's the main reason he was fired, why did he wait so long to fire Comey?"

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well, I'm not sure he ever grasped the full import of that."

11. Wide of hearing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Al Franken, (D) Minnesota:

"The goal post has been moved. First it was 'I did not have communications with Russians,' which was not true. Then it was 'I never met with any Russians to discuss any political campaign,' which may or may not be true. Now it's 'I did not discuss interference in the campaign,' which further narrows your initial blanket denial about meeting with the Russians."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well let me just say this without hesitation -- that I conducted no improper discussions with the Russians at any time regarding a campaign or any other item facing this country. I want to say that first. And that's been the suggestion that you've raised and others -- that it was somehow we had conversations that were improper."

14. Wide of hearing

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"And I'm disappointed. Yes, you can say what you want to about the accuracy of it, but I think it was a good faith response to a dramatic event at the time and I don't think it's fair for you to suggest otherwise."

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Al Franken, (D) Minnesota:

"That to me is moving the goal posts every time and we're starting off with an extra point. And by the end, we're going to, you know, a 75 yard field goal."

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"So now, everything else -- so now you take that to say if I ever met with a Russian, I've not been candid with the committee and I reject that."

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota:

"Will you commit to not putting reporters in jail for doing their jobs?"

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well, I don't know that I can make a blanket commitment to that effect. But I would say this -- we have not taken any aggressive action against the media at this point. But we have matters that involve the most serious national security issues that put our country at risk. And we will utilize the authorities that we have, legally and constitutionally, if we have to. We always try to find an alternative way, as you probably know, Senator Klobuchar, to directly confronting media person, but that's not a total blanket protection."

Democratic Sen. Al Franken is accusing Attorney General Jeff Sessions of "moving the goal posts" in denying his interactions with the Russian ambassador.

In a testy exchange, Franken confronted Sessions about his testimony in January, in which he said he had no communications with Russians. Sessions later had to recuse himself from the Justice Department's investigation of Trump campaign ties to Russia after it was revealed he had conversations with the ambassador. Franken says his explanations of those interactions continue to change.

But Sessions, visibly frustrated and voice rising, called Franken's line of questioning unfair. He says he answered the question as a surrogate of the Trump campaign. Sessions says he may have discussed Trump's campaign positions with the ambassador but insists he did not have a continuing exchange of information with him.

Sessions also says he has not been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators.

Mueller has been investigating potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March, before Mueller was appointed, but he is seen as a possible witness because of his involvement in the May firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, asked Sessions if he had been interviewed. Sessions at first told Leahy that he would have to ask Mueller that question, but then later answered the question by saying no.

The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has spoken to Mueller's team.

Sessions is also refusing to pledge that he won't seek to jail journalists for doing their jobs.

Under questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Sessions said he could not make that "blanket" commitment.

His position is a reversal of the stance taken by attorneys general in the Obama administration, who had said they would not seek to imprison members of the news media who were doing their jobs

The Trump administration has announced an aggressive crackdown on leaks of national security information to journalists.

POOL

Washington - 18 October 2017

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont (off-screen):

"Have you been interviewed or been requested to be interviewed by the special counsel either in connection with Director Comey's firing, the Russia investigation, or your own contact with Russian officials?"

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well I'd be pleased to answer that. I'm not sure I should, without clearing that with the special counsel... what do you think?"

3. UPSOUND (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"I'm just asking... have you been interviewed by them?"

4. UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"No."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"You haven't been interviewed by the special counsel or in any way shape or manner?"

6. UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"The answer is no."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"First, if that's the main reason the president wanted to fire him (James Comey) -- his jumping into the email investigation and taking it over in an unprecedented way, which I agree with you, why did it take so long?"

8. UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"The investigation?"

UPSOUND (English) Sen. Graham: "No, the firing." (long silence by Sessions)

UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "You mean why did the president..."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Graham:

"We knew -- the president knew, when he was inaugurated that Comey jumped into the middle of the Clinton email investigation, took the job of the attorney general over. If that's the main reason he was fired, why did he wait so long to fire Comey?"

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well, I'm not sure he ever grasped the full import of that."

11. Wide of hearing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Al Franken, (D) Minnesota:

"The goal post has been moved. First it was 'I did not have communications with Russians,' which was not true. Then it was 'I never met with any Russians to discuss any political campaign,' which may or may not be true. Now it's 'I did not discuss interference in the campaign,' which further narrows your initial blanket denial about meeting with the Russians."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well let me just say this without hesitation -- that I conducted no improper discussions with the Russians at any time regarding a campaign or any other item facing this country. I want to say that first. And that's been the suggestion that you've raised and others -- that it was somehow we had conversations that were improper."

14. Wide of hearing

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"And I'm disappointed. Yes, you can say what you want to about the accuracy of it, but I think it was a good faith response to a dramatic event at the time and I don't think it's fair for you to suggest otherwise."

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Al Franken, (D) Minnesota:

"That to me is moving the goal posts every time and we're starting off with an extra point. And by the end, we're going to, you know, a 75 yard field goal."

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"So now, everything else -- so now you take that to say if I ever met with a Russian, I've not been candid with the committee and I reject that."

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota:

"Will you commit to not putting reporters in jail for doing their jobs?"

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well, I don't know that I can make a blanket commitment to that effect. But I would say this -- we have not taken any aggressive action against the media at this point. But we have matters that involve the most serious national security issues that put our country at risk. And we will utilize the authorities that we have, legally and constitutionally, if we have to. We always try to find an alternative way, as you probably know, Senator Klobuchar, to directly confronting media person, but that's not a total blanket protection."

Democratic Sen. Al Franken is accusing Attorney General Jeff Sessions of "moving the goal posts" in denying his interactions with the Russian ambassador.

In a testy exchange, Franken confronted Sessions about his testimony in January, in which he said he had no communications with Russians. Sessions later had to recuse himself from the Justice Department's investigation of Trump campaign ties to Russia after it was revealed he had conversations with the ambassador. Franken says his explanations of those interactions continue to change.

But Sessions, visibly frustrated and voice rising, called Franken's line of questioning unfair. He says he answered the question as a surrogate of the Trump campaign. Sessions says he may have discussed Trump's campaign positions with the ambassador but insists he did not have a continuing exchange of information with him.

Sessions also says he has not been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators.

Mueller has been investigating potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March, before Mueller was appointed, but he is seen as a possible witness because of his involvement in the May firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, asked Sessions if he had been interviewed. Sessions at first told Leahy that he would have to ask Mueller that question, but then later answered the question by saying no.

The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has spoken to Mueller's team.

POOL

Washington - 18 October 2017

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"First, if that's the main reason the president wanted to fire him (James Comey) -- his jumping into the email investigation and taking it over in an unprecedented way, which I agree with you, why did it take so long?"

2. UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"The investigation?"

UPSOUND (English) Sen. Graham: "No, the firing." (long silence by Sessions)

UPSOUND (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "You mean why did the president..."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Graham:

"We knew -- the president knew, when he was inaugurated that Comey jumped into the middle of the Clinton email investigation, took the job of the attorney general over. If that's the main reason he was fired, why did he wait so long to fire Comey?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well, I'm not sure he ever grasped the full import of that."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Al Franken, (D) Minnesota:

"The goal post has been moved. First it was 'I did not have communications with Russians,' which was not true. Then it was 'I never met with any Russians to discuss any political campaign,' which may or may not be true. Now it's 'I did not discuss interference in the campaign,' which further narrows your initial blanket denial about meeting with the Russians."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"Well let me just say this without hesitation -- that I conducted no improper discussions with the Russians at any time regarding a campaign or any other item facing this country. I want to say that first. And that's been the suggestion that you've raised and others -- that it was somehow we had conversations that were improper."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"And I'm disappointed. Yes, you can say what you want to about the accuracy of it, but I think it was a good faith response to a dramatic event at the time and I don't think it's fair for you to suggest otherwise."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Al Franken, (D) Minnesota:

"That to me is moving the goal posts every time and we're starting off with an extra point. And by the end, we're going to, you know, a 75 yard field goal."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

"So now, everything else -- so now you take that to say if I ever met with a Russian, I've not been candid with the committee and I reject that."