Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to President Trump’s campaign, says he doesn’t deny speaking with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak last year, after saying last month he had “no meetings” with any Russian officials.
“I’m not going to deny that I talked with him,” Mr. Page said on MSNBC Thursday evening. “I will say that I never met him anywhere outside of Cleveland.”
He said he was trying to be respectful to organizers and confidentiality rules.
“I do not deny” that I talked with him, Mr. Page said.
The Trump campaign had previously disowned Mr. Page. He said Thursday he didn’t personally brief Mr. Trump but that he was part of a committee that advised the campaign.
Last month, Mr. Page said he had “no meetings” with Russian officials last year, either inside or outside of Russia.
“I might have said hello to a few people as they were walking by me at my graduation — the graduation speech that I gave in July, but no meetings,” he had said on “PBS Newshour.”
Mr. Page said Thursday he was answering that question last month in the context of an investigation into possible contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.
His television appearance Thursday came on the same day that Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he was recusing himself from any investigations involving last year’s presidential campaigns after it surfaced that he also spoke with Mr. Kislyak last year.
Many Democrats said Mr. Sessions should resign after he said during his confirmation hearing that he did not have communications with the Russians.
Mr. Sessions said Thursday he felt his response was honest and correct as he understood it at the time, but that he would follow up with Senate Judiciary Committee to explain the testimony.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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