It’ a good thing that Jeff Sessions is a “true believer” when it comes to Trump, because he’s spending almost as much time backpedaling and making lame ass excuses as his Cheeto Prophet is. Sessions was, if I remember correctly, the first GOP Senator to hop on the Trump train. And he was active in the campaign pretty much from the time he came aboard the SS Trumpitania. And he got his reward, he got to be the Attorney General, he can now discriminate indiscriminately to his little black hearts content.
But it came at a cost. To his pride, and to his reputation. When the Trump campaign-Russia collusion issue exploded to the front page, day after day, it put Sessions in a spot. He had multiple meetings with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak, and while Senators are not unknown to speak with foreign diplomats, the inference did not have a pleasant odor to it. To wrap the tattered boa of his dignity once again around his shoulders, he recused himself from any participation in the Trump-Russia investigation, infuriating Da Boss, who wanted him to hang tough.
The Pentagon announced that its Inspector General was conducting an investigation into Mike Flynn’s payments from Russia and Turkey, a possible Emoluments violation as well as a violation of his oath and military regulations. But now I have a question for y’all as Keebler the Elf would say. Why in the hell did he jump like a scalded cat in almost instantly recusing himself from any association with that investigation, should it be turned over to the Justice Department for prosecution consideration?
This is why I’m confused about this. True, Sessions has recused himself from the Russia collusion investigation. But this investigation that the Pentagon IG has opened doesn’t have a goddamn thing to do with the Trump-Russia investigation. First, Flynn got paid about $47,000 from Putin backed RT, right? But that payment took place in 2014, long before Trump even announced his candidacy, much less Sessions joining the team and being named as AG, there is no connection there! And second, they’re investigating Flynn for his $500K consulting contract with Turkey. Ummm, first of all, Flynn cut the deal in the fall of 2016, before Trump won and long before Flynn became the NSA for him. Also, last I checked, nobody has even hinted, much less investigated Turkey’s role in hacking the 2016 election to tilt it towards Donald Trump.
So, if the Pentagon investigation into Mike Flynn has nothing to do with the Russia investigation the FBI is doing, why is Sessions running from even the announcement like a puppy who hears the word “vet” mentioned? Is it because he doesn’t want to possibly be put in the position of being forced to prosecute another Trump acolyte if the Pentagon refers the case to the Justice Department? Sessions would come off almost as bad, if not worse if he quashed a prosecution than if he rolled Flynn over. Or is it possible that Flynn knows something about Sessions, or just as likely that Sessions knows something about Flynn? They were both in the Trump campaign at the time Flynn sold his soul to the Turks. If he has to refer Flynn for prosecution, does Flynn offer to cut a deal, either with the Justice Department, or the FBI, offering them Sessions in return for leniency? Or does he just go straight for the throat and go to the media to out Sessions?
Either way, this sudden, knee jerk reaction from Sessions about an issue that may never involve him at all makes absolutely no sense, but it does tend to indicate that Sessions is already thinking about worst case scenarios. The only question here is what is Sessions worst case scenario? Don’t touch that dial.