U.S. Senator Rob Portman is joining many of his GOP colleagues in calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the federal investigation into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election. Senator Sherrod Brown, along with several Democratic lawmakers, has demanded Sessions' resignation.
"Jeff Sessions is a former colleague and a friend, but I think it would be best for him and for the country to recuse himself from the DOJ Russia probe," Portman wrote in a statement Thursday.
Brown, who already called in February for Sessions to recuse himself, went a step further in his own statement.
"It is no longer enough that the Attorney General recuse himself in these investigations," Brown said. "He must resign his post immediately. Ohioans deserve a top law enforcement official they can trust, who doesn't lie to the American people under oath."
The Justice Department confirmed that Sessions talked twice with Russia's ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign, a seeming contradiction to sworn statements he gave to Congress.
When asked during his confirmation hearing about claims that Trump campaign officials contacted the Russian government, Sessions told the Senate Judiciary Committee, "I did not have communications with the Russians."
Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told MSNBC that Sessions "is going to need to recuse himself at this point."
Another top House Republican, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, also said Sessions should recuse himself.
Several Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, called on Sessions to resign.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story
