# Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the third apparently lied under oath January 10, 2017 **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171 "2017-03-02T02:47:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/1 "2017-03-02T02:47:24Z")
Said he had no contact with the Russians during the campaign. Now WaPo is reporting he met with the Russian ambassador at the GOP convention and then later in September. As a member of the Senate armed services committee this might have been legitimate. But lying under oath at his confirmation - no way. [WaPo Story](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-spoke-twice-with-russian-ambassador-during-trumps-presidential-campaign-justice-officials-say/2017/03/01/77205eda-feac-11e6-99b4-9e613afeb09f_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/2 "2017-03-02T02:54:23Z")
Now we get to see if the Republicans have any ethics at all. Even the smallest drop. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/3 "2017-03-02T02:55:40Z")
Lock him up! LOCK HIM UP! **LOCK HIM UP!** ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/4 "2017-03-02T02:58:41Z")
Taking bets on how the Liar in Chief tries to spin this in his favour. My money’s on \Obama\Hillary\best international relations. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/5 "2017-03-02T03:14:40Z")
The first one might be problematic, but the second one has a get-out-of-jail-free card: _“Several of the President-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?” Leahy wrote._ Emphasis added. He can simply claim the meeting(s) had nothing to do with the 2016 campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/6 "2017-03-02T03:33:50Z")
“I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.” Doesn’t matter what was discussed. This is clearly perjury regardless of what was discussed. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/7 "2017-03-02T03:34:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The first one might be problematic, but the second one has a get-out-of-jail-free card: > > _“Several of the President-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?” Leahy wrote._ > > Emphasis added. He can simply claim the meeting(s) had nothing to do with the 2016 campaign. "I did not have communications with the Russians.” – Jeff Sessions at his Jan. 10 Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/8 "2017-03-02T03:36:08Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > "I did not have communications with the Russians.” > > – Jeff Sessions at his Jan. 10 Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing Perhaps I should have said his answer to the first question might be problematic. Oh wait, I did. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/9 "2017-03-02T03:36:47Z")
It does not matter. Republicans are _allowed_ to commit perjury, to have private email servers, to buddy up with the Russians, to lie about anything and to approve military missions that are screw-ups. This is perfectly fine. Because they are Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/10 "2017-03-02T03:38:56Z")
Just remember Clinton was impeached because he lied under oath, not because he got a blowjob. Now it seems lying under oath isn’t that big a deal, so was it really the blow job that did Clinton in? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/11 "2017-03-02T03:46:24Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Just remember Clinton was impeached because he lied under oath, not because he got a blowjob. Now it seems lying under oath isn’t that big a deal, so was it really the blow job that did Clinton in? It’s OK when a Republican does it. Also, it doesn’t matter, because Hillary had emails. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/12 "2017-03-02T03:47:13Z")
Don’t worry, the Sessions camp has an explanation for [lying to Congress](http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/01/politics/jeff-sessions-russian-ambassador-meetings/): _Sessions’ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said there was nothing “misleading about his answer” to Congress because the Alabama Republican “was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign – not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee.”_ He wasn’t wearing his surrogate hat. He was wearing his Armed Services Committee hat. Number of members of the Armed Services Committee other than Sessions who met with Russian Ambassadors last year? Zero. Also, this explanation is almost as bad as Clinton’s “definition of ‘is’” explanation ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/13 "2017-03-02T03:50:05Z")
It’s especially a problem because he referred to himself as a campaign surrogate. Oops… ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/14 "2017-03-02T04:08:26Z")
“I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.” Maybe they just stared lovingly into each other’s eyes and did not communicate otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/15 "2017-03-02T04:16:19Z")
MSNBC is doing a two hour special tonight on Russia/Trump connections, and had to interrupt it twice with breaking news about Russia/Trump connections. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/16 "2017-03-02T04:23:18Z")
Yo, dawg, I hear you like reporting on Russia/Trump connections… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/17 "2017-03-02T04:26:27Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Taking bets on how the Liar in Chief tries to spin this in his favour. > > My money’s on \Obama\Hillary\best international relations. Maybe he’ll say that the real problem is the way open testimony before Congress somehow got leaked to the press. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/18 "2017-03-02T04:35:12Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Don’t worry, the Sessions camp has an explanation for [lying to Congress](http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/01/politics/jeff-sessions-russian-ambassador-meetings/): > > _Sessions’ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said there was nothing “misleading about his answer” to Congress because the Alabama Republican “was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign – not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee.”_ > > He wasn’t wearing his surrogate hat. He was wearing his Armed Services Committee hat. Number of members of the Armed Services Committee other than Sessions who met with Russian Ambassadors last year? Zero. Unless Sessions is claiming that the wearing of differing hats triggers entirely different personalities within his body, he has no defense. He plainly said “I did not have communications with the Russians.” He lied. Unless he has multiple personality disorder. And I don’t think he’s claiming to have multiple personality disorder. So: he lied. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/19 "2017-03-02T05:02:38Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Unless Sessions is claiming that the wearing of differing hats triggers entirely different personalities within his body, he has no defense. He plainly said “I did not have communications with the Russians.” But his answer was in response to a question about the campaign, so I suspect he’s now saying that the context of his response was “I, as a surrogate for the campaign, did not have communications with Russians.” That’s pretty hinky, of course. But it’s likely enough to dodge a criminal charge of perjury. It is, in my view, lying under oath. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171/20 "2017-03-02T05:08:33Z")
He lied about not talking to the same guy that Flynn lied about not talking to. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-beauregard-sessions-the-third-apparently-lied-under-oath-january-10-2017/781171.md?page=2)