Jeff Sessions clarifies his confirmation hearing testimony to acknowledge he spoke to Russian ambassador twice last year but STILL says he was honest

Sessions said during his confirmation hearing in January that he had never talked to Russians
He now clarifies that he had spoken to the Russian ambassador twice
He said he was telling the truth during his hearing because he was acting as a Senator, not a surrogate for Trump or on behalf of his campaign

Published: 22:43 GMT, 6 March 2017 | Updated: 02:33 GMT, 7 March 2017

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday clarified his confirmation hearing testimony to acknowledge having spoken twice last year with the Russian ambassador, but he said he stood by his earlier remarks as an honest and correct answer to a question.

The filing amends testimony Sessions gave under oath in January when he said he did not have communication with Russians.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 campaign during a Department of Justice press conference in Washington, DC Thursday March 2 (above)

During Sessions' confirmation hearing, above, he said he had not met any Russians - he now clarifies that as meaning as a surrogate for Trump or his campaign, but he did with the ambassador in his role as Senator

Sessions reversed course last week and acknowledged that he actually had spoken with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak once at the Republican National Convention last July and again at a meeting in his Senate office in September in the presence of his Senate staff.

He maintained that the meetings were in the capacity as Senator and not related to the Trump campaign, reported CNN.

'I do not recall any discussions with the Russian ambassador, or any other representative of the Russian government, regarding the political campaign on these occasions or any other occasion,' he wrote.

Sessions committed last week to amending his earlier testimony as he agreed to recuse himself from any investigations involving the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the presidential election.

Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak (center) arrives before US President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of the US Congress on February 28

Sessions maintained that his answer to a question from Senator Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, was correct.

Franken had asked Sessions at the confirmation hearing what he would do if he learned of evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign had been in touch with the Russian government in the course of the campaign.

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) asked Sessions during the confirmation hearing (above) what he would do if it came out that anyone involved in Trump's campaign had been in touch with Russians

Sessions admitted that he has been called a surrogate for the Trump campaign.

'I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign, and I didn't have - did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it,' he said during the hearing.

Sessions responded that he himself had not had 'communications with the Russians.'

He said Monday that he answered the question the way he did because Franken had raised allegations of continuing communication between Russians and intermediaries for the Russian government.

'I did not mention communications I had had with the Russian ambassador over the years because the question did not ask about them,' Sessions wrote.

Sessions recused himself last week of any investigation into 'Russian contacts with the Trump transition team and administration.'