Sessions Declines to Recuse Himself From Probe Into Trump Lawyer

Stan Twardy was quoted in an article, “Sessions Declines to Recuse Himself From Probe Into Trump Lawyer,” published by Bloomberg News. The article focuses on the decision made by Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself from the criminal investigation into President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. Twardy told Bloomberg News that absent a full recusal from the Cohen investigation, Sessions can weigh in on certain matters related to the investigation that reach Justice Department headquarters. He further commented that there are no hard rules governing when Sessions would need to step aside, and decisions will depend on the specific issues at hand. “It’s a question of what Sessions has decided to do,” Twardy said. However, he noted there are multiple layers protecting the integrity of the Cohen investigation. For example, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is fiercely independent and comprised of career prosecutors Trump can’t fire. The FBI is also involved in the investigation, and there’s a grand jury that can make independent decisions – all of which help insulate the probe from any political interference, Twardy said.