BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Congresswoman Clarke released the following statement calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign after his meetings with agents of the Russian government were disclosed.

“When Jeff Sessions was nominated Attorney General of the United States, I expressed my serious concerns about his awful record on civil rights. As a political appointee to the Department of Justice who was sworn to uphold our laws, he referred to some of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations as ‘un-American,’ cited approval for the Ku Klux Klan, and demeaned his African American colleagues. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee found these comments alarming and refused to confirm his nomination as a federal judge, and the nomination was ultimately withdrawn. That record should have been disqualifying, as the position of chief law enforcement officer requires compassion and a genuine commitment to equality under the law.

“Now we have learned that, contrary to testimony Jeff Sessions provided under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee, he was in contact with agents of the Russian government during the 2016 Presidential Election, even as he was actively supporting Donald Trump’s campaign. As more details have become available, the influence of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government on the election has become undeniable. Jeff Sessions cannot credibly lead the Department of Justice. Therefore, he must resign from his current position.  If he refuses, I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to consider the possibility of impeachment and removal from office.”

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