--- description: Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner delivered opening remarks at Jeff Sessions' Senate hearing. Read the transcript title: Read Sen. Mark Warner's Opening Remarks at Jeff Sessions' Senate Hearing image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf59e6c32fd204be5/6988d17be76ad21d1162de00/mark-warner-jeff-sessions.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Senate](/tag/senate/) ## Senate Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Read Sen. Mark Warner's Opening Remarks at Jeff Sessions' Senate Hearing by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jun 13, 2017 8:07 PM CUT  Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ranking member Mark Warner (D-VA) speaks to reporters after a meeting of the committee on Capitol Hill May 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ranking member Mark Warner (D-VA) speaks to reporters after a meeting of the committee on Capitol Hill May 23, 2017 in Washington, DC.Win McNamee—Getty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jun 13, 2017 8:07 PM CUT Virginia Sen. Mark Warner questioned Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ role in the [firing of former FBI Director James Comey](http://time.com/4813966/donald-trump-james-comey-leak-tweets/ "undefined") and his recusal from investigations into alleged collusion between President Trump’s campaign and Russian officials ahead of [Sessions’ testimony before the Senate intelligence committee](http://time.com/4816986/jeff-sessions-testimony-russia-transcript/ "undefined") on Tuesday. Warner, the vice chairman of the committee, noted that Sessions had interactions with Russian officials during Trump’s campaign in his prepared opening remarks. “You were an early and ardent supporter of Mr. Trump. In March, you were named as Chairman of the Trump campaign’s national security advisory committee,” Warner said, addressing Sessions. “You were much more than a mere surrogate; you were a strategic advisor who helped shape much of the campaign’s national security strategy. No doubt you will have insight about some of the key Trump associates that we are seeking to hear from in the weeks ahead.” Read Warner’s opening remarks below. --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4817047/jeff-sessions-testimony-mark-warner-transcript/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4817047/jeff-sessions-testimony-mark-warner-transcript/"},"headline":"Read Sen. 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