Donald Trump

Did AG Sessions Violate Recusal by Advising on Comey Firing?

Legal experts say the answer depends on the scope of Sessions' recusal and the true reasoning for Comey's dismissal

President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey based on advice from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has raised questions about whether Sessions violated his own recusal from the Russia investigation, which Comey was leading.

As NBC News reported, legal experts say the answer depends on the scope of Sessions' recusal and the true reasoning for Comey's dismissal. The White House has insisted Comey was fired for his mishandling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.

One legal ethics expert from New York says the scope of his recusal is very broad, and Sessions therefore flatly violated it.

However, a former federal prosecutor drew attention to the fact that Sessions chose to recuse himself and was not instructed to do so by the Justice Department. Therefore, the expert said, Sessions is allowed to change his mind if he wants.

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