A day after grilling Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) about Republicans’ continued inability to provide proof of President Joe Biden’s wrongdoing as it relates to his son Hunter’s business dealings, CNN anchor Brianna Keilar called out the congressman for lying to her face.
In a moment reminiscent of her past “Roll the Tape” segments, which featured Keilar slamming politicians and conservative news outlets for peddling falsehoods, the CNN News Central host noted on Thursday that Sessions was brought on to talk about the latest hearing in the House GOP’s Hunter Biden probe.
Pointing out that two IRS whistleblowers testified before the House Oversight Committee that the president’s son allegedly received special treatment in the criminal probe that resulted in a plea deal on tax and gun charges, Keilar said that Sessions made a “false claim” related to David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in charge of the investigation.
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Keilar aired a clip of Sessions telling her that Weiss had sent House and Senate Republicans three different letters in which he “corrected himself each and every time” about his level of authority in the Hunter Biden investigation. This was after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan insisted that Weiss kept “changing his story” during Wednesday’s hearing.
“No, he didn’t,” Keilar declared after playing Sessions’ remarks. “No, David Weiss did not correct himself each and every time in the three letters he sent. There was no follow-up letter where Weiss corrected himself and said he did not have that ability, as Sessions said.”
She continued: “In fact, Weiss reaffirmed his authority in his letters to Republican members of Congress who were seeking information about the Hunter Biden probe. Which was then, and is still an ongoing criminal investigation.”
The CNN anchor went on to note that in his June 7 letter to Jordan, Weiss said he’d “been granted ultimate authority over this matter including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges.” After Jordan responded that Weiss’ explanation was insufficient, Keilar said the U.S. attorney provided more details in a separate letter late last month while reaffirming his authority in the case.
“And on July 10, responding to an inquiry from Sen. Lindsey Graham, he disputed whistleblower claims that he requested special counsel status. ‘I have not requested special counsel designation,’” she declared. “And once again, he asserted his authority and said that he had ‘never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.’”
After saying that she’s still awaiting comment from Sessions’ office on why the congressman “misrepresented” Weiss’ letters to Congress, she wrapped up by taking House Republicans to task over their Biden probes.
“There are legitimate questions about how foreign entities or outside groups use money to try to influence those who are close to politicians,” she stated. “That’s why Obama White House officials raised concerns about Hunter Biden's activities towards the end of the Obama administration.”
“But Republicans, broadly, are already facing criticism for inconsistency. Their fixation on the actions of the president’s son without proving any link to the president himself, and while turning a blind eye to the at least ethically questionable behavior of Trump family members and the former president himself as they benefitted financially from his presidency and continue to do so as he runs for the White House yet again,” Keilar concluded. “Because if this is really about getting to the facts, you don’t lie about them.”
