WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today questioned U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on recent reports that he will not recuse himself from the federal investigation into the President’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as well as efforts to curb gun violence in Wilmington.

“As you know, Attorney General, my home community of Wilmington has faced some significant levels of gun violence, something that the department has worked on in the past, and I've tried to find ways that the federal government can help local law enforcement to confront this challenge. I'm working with Senator Toomey, we've had crafted a bill called the NICS Denial Act, which recognizes someone a convicted felon, adjudicated and determined mentally ill, convicted of domestic violence, goes into a gun shop and fills out the background check form and says yes, I can buy a gun and they are denied. That's information that would be helpful for local law enforcement to know,” said Senator Coons. 

Full video and audio are available here.

Senator Coons’ Q&A is below:

Sen. Coons: Thank you, Chairman Moran, and welcome to your new position here at CJS. I look forward to working with you and Ranking Member Shaheen. Mr. Attorney General, welcome. I enjoyed working with Senator Graham and think that the CLOUD Act was an important step forward. I have three questions to ask, if I might. I think I'm the last man standing to work through them. I'll do my best. First, as you know, Attorney General, my home community of Wilmington has faced some significant levels of gun violence, something that the department has worked on in the past, and I've tried to find ways that the federal government can help local law enforcement to confront this challenge. I'm working with Senator Toomey, we've had crafted a bill called the NICS Denial Act, which recognizes someone a convicted felon, adjudicated and determined mentally ill, convicted of domestic violence, goes into a gun shop and fills out the background check form and says yes, I can buy a gun and they are denied. That's information that would be helpful for local law enforcement to know. Would you agree that's helpful for state and local law enforcement? 

Sessions: Yes, it would be. 

Sen. Coons: There were 120,000 NICS denials in 2016. State of Pennsylvania, state of Virginia. They run it -- the state police run it so they know when there's a NICS denial and they have prosecuted hundreds of people. My home state, about 30 others, it's run independently of state law enforcement. All this bill would do is to require notification to state law enforcement when there is a denial of a NICS application. Do you think that would be a constructive step forward in terms of empowering state and local law enforcement to take timely action where a person prohibited is trying to get access to a weapon? 

Sessions: I would be pleased to review that. I'm aware that you were offering something of that nature, but I haven't studied it. I think it's got potential and would be pleased to do so. We also are directing our United States attorneys to prosecute more aggressively people who lie to get a gun, and some of those are caught -- well, most of them are NICS denials of basically people who have lied. 

Sen. Coons: We call it the lie and try offenses. 

Sessions: Yes, we call it the lie and try. 

Sen. Coons: The other thing I wanted to ask about is the high intensity drug trafficking program under ONDCP. I worked hard to make sure New Castle Delaware County, our northern most county, was included in the Camden/Philadelphia area and I understand that you're looking to focus on enforcement activities but not gating addiction. The program and other ONDCP programs have balanced with community enforcement efforts to fight addiction. Why reinvent the wheel when ONDCP has been always providing that activity? 

Sessions: This has been an area of discussion for years. We've been asked to make the government more effective. The HIDTA investigative teams that are funded through the grant program have been a part of the ONDCP, the Office of Drug Control Policy. It was set up as a policy entity, and a little bit like the National Security Council that says we're spending all this money. Let's make sure that the departments are doing it in a right a coordinated way so we think that ONDCP needs to focus back on that and that the actual management in the field of task forces that prosecute and investigate drug use is better coordinated with the DEA, but the HIDTA officials, the people of the local communities that serve on the HIDTA boards would be retained. The grant money would simply be managed by the DEA, and I think it would create a closer working relationship. 

Sen. Coons: I look forward to looking into that further. We may disagree on how to enact it. Let me close with a few questions about the U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern Investigation District and the investigation of Michael Cohen. If I understand your exchange with Senator Leahy. I want to make sure you understand. If you discover any connection between this investigation of Mr. Cohen and the allegations of Russian interference or anything related to the 2016 election. Would you recuse yourself? 

Sessions: Yes. 

Sen. Coons: Thank you. Have you discussed that investigation into Mr. Cohen with anyone outside of DOJ including the president? 

Sessions: I don't think in any significant -- well, I'll just say this. The communications I might have to anyone in the White House I believe are the kind of communications that should not be revealed. I believe I have the right and responsibility to maintain confidence in those so I'm just not able to go down that road. 

Sen. Coons: So in exerting executive privilege, they are asserting executive privilege there I'll move forward. Last question. Has the president or anyone in the administration discussed with you the possibility of President Trump pardoning Michael Cohen? 

Sessions: I am not able to reveal the contents of any communications I might have with the president of the United States or his top staff. 

Sen. Coons: Given the previous conversation you had with Senator Van Hollen, it's my hope that if President Trump proceeded to pardon Michael Cohen in violation of long-standing policy and did not consult with a pardon attorney, did not consult with DOJ, that you would express strong objection to that and would consider resigning if that step were taken. Hopefully, it will not come to that. Thank you for the chance to question you today and thank you for your service, Mr. Attorney General. 

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