48:33 of the possibility of whether or not Russia and the United States could get on a more harmonious relationship, and move off to hostility. The Soviet Union did in fact collapse. It's really a tragic strategic event that we're not able to get along better. Yes, return to the harpsichord. Man what a waste of time! It's a total waste of time but at least it gets pretty funny with Wyden who is another douchebag and this is the two clips I have that I wanted to play which is Wyden vs Sessions part one where they go at each other The American people have had it with stonewalling
49:20 Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged and off-limits or that they can't be provided in public, or that it would be quote inappropriate for witnesses to tell us what they know. We are talking about an attack on our democratic institutions and stonewalling of any kind is unacceptable. And General Sessions has acknowledged that there is no legal basis for this stonewalling, so now to questions. Last Thursday I asked former Director Comey about the FBI's interactions with you, General Session prior to your stepping aside from the Russian investigation
50:03 Mr. Comey said that your continued engagement with the Russian investigation was, quote, problematic And he, Mr. Comey could not discuss it in public Mr. Comey also said that FBI personnel had been calling for you to step aside from the investigation at least two weeks before you finally did so Now in your prepared statement You stated you received only quote limited information necessary to inform your recusal decision But given Director Comey's statement, we need to know what that was. Were you aware of any concerns at the FBI or elsewhere in government about your contacts with the Russians? Or any other matters relevant to whether you should step aside from the Russian investigation? Senator Wyden I am not stonewalling
51:04 I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice. You don't walk into any hearing or committee meeting and reveal confidential communications with a President of United States who's entitled to receive confidential communications in your best judgment about a host of issues and have to be accused of stonewalling for not answering them. So I would push back on that. Secondly, Mr. Comey perhaps he didn't know but I basically recused myself the day
51:40 the first day I got into the office because i never accessed files. I never learned the names of investigators, I never met with them and I never asked for any documentation. The documentation was little I received was mostly on already in the media and was presented by the senior ethics public responsibility, professional responsibility attorney in the department. And I made a honest and proper decision to recuse myself as I told Senator Feinstein and the members of the committee I would do when they confirmed me. So that didn't really keep- That didn't work?
52:21 Well, I mean it did work for everyone listening. But it didn't work for this Wyden guy. And Wyden by the way is the guy... He's talking about this kind of confidentiality. So Wyden if you remember he's the guy from Oregon who came before on the floor of the Senate went on and on, this was during the Snowden era. He went on and on about all these terrible things that are going on and how that he would like to say what they were Which he could have done legally, could have actually exposed a lot of the stuff that Snowden was talking about legally. Because on the floor of Congress you're not liable for anything. You can say whatever you want and you can reveal private conversations, you can reveal closed door testimonies, you can reveal it all and he wouldn't do it but oh excuse me but its really bad because Sessions won't do it I just thought this guy was huge hypocrite
53:15 But here we are, Wyatt in versus Sessions 2 and this will be my last one. General Sessions respectfully you're not answering the question. Well what is the question? The question is Mr. Comey said that there were matters with respect to the recusal that were problematic and he couldn't talk about them What are they? Why don't you tell me? There are none, Senator Wyden. There are none! I can tell you that for absolute certainty. You tell... This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me and i dont appreciate it
53:54 And I've tried to give my best and truthful answers to any committee I have appeared before. People are suggesting through innuendo that I have been not honest about matters, and I've tried to be honest. My time is short you made your point that you think Mr Comey is engaging in innuendo we're going to keep digging. Well Senator Wyden he did not say it. and I asked you what was problematic about it. Some of that leaked out of the committee, that he said in closed sessions. Okay one more question...I asked former FBI director whether your role in firing him violated your recusal given the President Trump said he had fired Comey because of the Russian investigation? Director Comey said this was a reasonable question so I want to ask you just
54:50 Point blank, why did you sign the letter recommending the firing of Director Comey when it violated your recusal? It did not violate my recusal. That would be the answer to that and the letter that I signed represented my views that had been formulated for some time Yeah, that was pretty much the only explosive fun bit that was in that whole thing. I would say and the thing about this is you want to just kind of Reminisce if it wasn't for Trump going on Lester Holt Right and out-of-the-blue saying I fired call me because of his Russian hoax If he'd shut up And go do his job instead of coming on and making stuff up as he goes along