Project on Government Oversight Points to AT&T, Comcast Donations to Sessions

The Project on Government Oversight tallied donors to Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., that he would oversee as attorney general if the Senate confirms him. “An analysis of Senator Sessions’ campaign contributions raises several matters that pose conflict-of-interest and ethical concerns if he assumes the post of Attorney General,” the group said, citing 12 donors that have pending antitrust or competition matters before DOJ. AT&T gave $54,000, it noted, noting “AT&T’s proposed merger with Time Warner is currently under review by DOJ” and “AT&T’s fully owned subsidiary DirecTV is the subject of an antitrust lawsuit brought by DOJ.” It cited $27,000 from DirecTV separately. Comcast gave $27,700, it said, citing a DOJ civil investigative demand to Comcast on cable advertising business practices. The donations are legal but “indicate financial and professional relationships between him and his donors -- entanglements that could suggest the appearance of bias,” said the project, proposing that Sessions “could commit to a bright-line rule where he will recuse himself from any matter involving a donor from the last two years or any donor who gave more than $5,000 in the last decade” and “commit to an independent written and public review of this matter by DOJ’s Ethics Office and the Office of the Inspector General,” taking action “publicly in accordance with that review and recuse himself (or not) based upon the report’s recommendation.” A Sessions spokesman didn’t comment on the tally of donations. Sessions faces Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings Tuesday and Wednesday. American Civil Liberties Union National Legal Director David Cole will testify on a second panel of witnesses, slated for Wednesday. The ACLU produced a report on Sessions’ positions overall, stating: “Since its inception in 2001, Sessions has supported nearly every iteration of the USA Patriot Act. Sessions has long supported government surveillance efforts including bulk meta data collection.” Free Press opposes confirmation for Sessions and in a blog post last week referred to his views on surveillance. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., predicts the Senate will have “six or seven” confirmations of Trump administration nominees, particularly those focused on national security, by Day 1 of the new presidency, he said Monday, speaking to reporters at Trump Tower in New York. “It’s obviously going to be a big week on Capitol Hill,” said Trump spokesman Sean Spicer on a journalists' call Monday about the many confirmation hearings. Spicer said Trump’s team is in regular contact with McConnell’s about the busy nominations schedule.