Sessions refuses to say if he’s recusing himself from Cohen probe

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday refused to say whether he had recused himself from any investigations related to President Trump’s personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen.

“I think the best answer for me, having given it some thought, is that I should not announce that,” he told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Justice Department.

Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter, reported Tuesday that Sessions had not recused himself from any investigation of Cohen. It said Sessions would consider stepping back from specific questions tied to the probe.

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Sessions told the committee that the Justice Department does not generally comment on recusals or their scope. If he does not recuse himself from the case, he could have access to briefing materials and have room to voice his views on certain prosecutorial decisions.

Sessions last year recused himself from the investigation into Russia’s interference into the 2016 election, earning the ire of the president, who has frequently berated Sessions for the decision.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation made a criminal referral on Cohen to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is reportedly investigating Cohen. 

The FBI raided Cohen’s office earlier this month. Trump and his lawyers have argued that taking the files could breach attorney-client privilege. The government has sent the files to a special “taint team” to sort through what files are covered.