Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to President Trump’s campaign, met Russian government officials on a trip to the country in July of last year, according to a Friday report.
The New York Times reported that Page testified to House investigators that he met with Russian government officials during his trip to Russia in July 2016.
Page then reportedly emailed a Trump campaign aide about the contents of the meetings, a source familiar with the message told the Times.
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Page told the Times that he did meet with Russian officials, but said the meeting was “brief.”
“I had a very brief hello to a couple of people. That was it,” Page told the Times. He also told the newspaper that he met with one “senior person,” but refused to reveal that person’s identity.
Page had previously denied meeting with Russian officials on the trip.
Page also said Thursday he told House investigators that he told Attorney General Jeff Sessions, then an Alabama Senator and member of the Trump campaign’s foreign policy team, about his trip before it occurred.
“Back in June 2016, I mentioned in passing that I happened to be planning to give a speech at a university in Moscow,” Page told CNN. “Completely unrelated to my limited volunteer role with the campaign and as I’ve done dozens of times throughout my life.”
In testimony before the Senate in June, Sessions said he did not “recall” any meetings between campaign associates and Russian officials. Page was one of the officials Sessions was asked about.
While he said he knew of no meetings between Page and Russians, he added, “There might be some published accounts of Mr. Page communicating with Russians, I don’t know.”
Sessions also said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last month that he was unaware of any Trump campaign surrogates communicating with Russians.
“I did not [have contact with Russians] and I’m not aware of anyone else that did, and I don’t believe it happened,” Sessions said.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said Friday Sessions should resign from his post because he “absolutely” committed perjury during his testimony.
“The top law enforcement official in the United States can not have committed a crime and still be there,” Lieu said in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.