Jeff Sessions’ Russia Testimony Live Stream: When And How To Watch

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is set to testify publicly before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. He is also likely to face questions on why the attorney general was involved in former FBI Director James Comey’s firing if he recused himself from the Russia investigation.

"In light of reports regarding Mr. Comey's recent testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, it is important that I have an opportunity to address these matters in the appropriate forum," Sessions wrote Saturday in a letter to Sen. Richard Shelby, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies.

Read: Attorney General Jeff Sessions Can Be Impeached If Found Guilty Of Perjury

"The Senate Intelligence Committee is the most appropriate forum for such matters, as it has been conducting an investigation and has access to relevant, classified information," the attorney general wrote.

Sessions’ public testimony will begin at 2:30 p.m. EDT and will be streamed live on the Senate Intelligence Committee’s website. CNN will telecast the testimony live on its news channel as well as other platforms including its website. CBSN will have live stream, which can be watched here.

Sessions has come under scanner after he failed to disclose meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential campaign. During his confirmation hearing in January, Sessions testified under oath saying he "did not have communications with the Russians." However, the Washington Post reported on March 1, citing Justice Department officials that Sessions — who was then an Alabama senator —spoke to Kislyak in July and September "at the height of what U.S. intelligence officials say was a Russian cyber campaign to upend the U.S. presidential race.”

On March 2, Sessions agreed he was in touch with one Russian official a couple of times. He also recused himself from investigations into President Donald Trump's presidential campaign and its alleged ties to Russia.

“Let me be clear: I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign,” Sessions said at the time. “The idea that I was part of a ‘continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government’ is totally false.”

Read: ACLU Files Ethics Complaint Against Sessions

When Comey was fired in May, the White House said Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosentein recommended the president to do so — two months after Sessions recused himself.

"Recommending Director Comey’s firing would seem to be a violation of his recusal, and Attorney General Sessions needs to answer for that," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-New York) said Monday.

During the June 8 testimony before the committee, Comey said he did not know why Sessions was involved in his firing despite recusing himself.

“That’s a question I can’t answer,” Comey said. “I think it’s a reasonable question. If, as the president said, I was fired because of the Russia investigation, why was the attorney general involved in that chain? I don’t know, and so I don’t have an answer for the question.”

Comey also indicated to the committee that Sessions may have had more interactions with Russian officials during the campaign and before the recusal the FBI knew of facts that would make Sessions’ involvement in the Russia investigation “problematic.”