Sessions introduces new chief to lead team probing into Trump-Russia ties
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has appointed a veteran federal prosecutor as the new chief of the division handling the ongoing investigation into Russia's alleged efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Dana Boente, from Northern Virginia, will temporarily preside over the case as the department’s new acting attorney general for national security. The job was originally given to Sessions, but he had to recuse himself after his meetings with Russian ambassador to the US were uncovered.
“Dana Boente has been a dedicated public servant for decades and has served in important leadership roles in the Department of Justice,” Sessions said Friday.
“In recent months, he has provided extraordinary leadership during the transition period. I am pleased that he has agreed to continue his service by leading our efforts to keep America safe,” he added.
Before being chosen to the job, Boente was serving as the acting deputy attorney general, his most recent high-profile task. He was replaced by Rod J. Rosenstein, former district attorney for Maryland.
Boente will remain the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, a post he was given by former President Barack Obama in 2015. That title holds jurisdiction over the Pentagon, the CIA and other security agencies in Northern Virginia.
The FBI as well as the Senate and House intelligence committees have been investigating Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and any possible ties between the associates of President Donald Trump and Moscow.
In February, Trump’s then National Security adviser, Michael Flynn, was forced to resign after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about a conversation he had with the Russian ambassador to the US in late December.
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Before the election, Trump’s Democratic rival, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, accused him of having ties with Russia and said Moscow was carrying out hacking attacks against her party in order to influence the outcome of the vote.
Then-president Barack Obama and the American intelligence community also backed up the claims.
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