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“I did not have communications with the Russians”

“I did not have communications with the Russians”

Last night’s bombshell New York Times and Washington Post stories shed even more light on the troubling contacts between Trump campaign officials—including Attorney General Jeff Sessions—and Putin’s confidantes during the campaign. Here’s what we know:

  1. Jeff Sessions lied to Congress about his contacts with Russian officials. Sessions met *twice* with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign. But when asked during his confirmation hearing about potential Trump campaign communications with the Russian government, Sessions said: “I’m not aware of any of those activities… I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”
  2. There were multiple meetings between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Multiple European intelligence agencies (UK and Dutch) have evidence of meetings between known Trump campaign officials and known Russian officials in Europe. This additional evidence of contact between the Trump camp and Russia was shared with U.S. intelligence. U.S. intelligence also separately intercepted communications between Russian officials talking about their meetings with the Trump campaign.
  3. This information is accessible to Congress. Obama Administration officials took steps before leaving office to make sure that this intelligence couldn’t be swept under the rug by an incoming Trump administration. That means all this information is accessible to the intelligence committees conducting investigations into connections between Trump and Russia.

What does this mean? First, Jeff Sessions must resign. Second, we need an independent commission and special prosecutor to fully investigate the ties between the Trump camp and Russia.

ACTION OF THE DAY

#FireSessions. We know that Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath about his contacts with Russian officials during the election. We need a fully independent investigation to get to the bottom of the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. Here’s what you can do:

  1. Call your member of Congress at (202) 224-3121 or visit a local district office and demand an independent commission that can fully investigate the possible crimes related to Russia’s attack on America’s democracy.
  2. Attend a #ResistTrump rally near you this weekend and make a sign demanding an independent investigation.
  3. Share this graphic on your social media account and ask at least 3 friends to do the same.

WHAT’S TRENDING

#FreeDany. Just hours after Trump said, “We are removing gang members, drug dealers, and criminals that threaten our communities,” in his joint address to Congress, yet another DREAMer was detained by ICE agents. Yesterday, 22-year-old Daniela Vargas was detained shortly after speaking at an immigration press conference. Trump may have sounded more “presidential” during his joint address, but his policies are still extreme. His assault on immigrants has a real human toll. Sign this petition to #FreeDany now.

#DungeonDraft. Earlier this week, Speaker Paul Ryan promised a transparent Obamacare repeal/replace process. “We’re not hatching some bill in a backroom,” he said. Turns out they aren’t hatching a bill in a backroom, they’re hatching a bill in a Hill basement… and the only people who will see Ryan’s new draft bill? Other House Republicans. There needs to be an actually transparent and open process before taking health insurance away from tens of millions of people, increasing taxes and out-of-pocket health care costs for working people, and destroying Medicaid.

Broken records. Not in a good way. Yesterday, an Argentine research base reported that Antarctica reached a record 64 DEGREES. In March. The record was set last March but global warming is still very much a thing this March.

TRANSITION TRACKER

Dr. Secretary. This morning, the Senate confirmed Dr. Ben Carson as the nation’s 17th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Carson, who is so woefully unqualified for the job even he admitted it, passed by a 58-41 vote. Next on the hot seat—former Texas Governor and another 2016 alumni, Rick Perry. His final confirmation vote could come as soon as this evening.

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