U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions hired a private lawyer.June 20, 2017 Editor's note: This piece was originally published on January 15, 2018.Related: Music Video Will Make It Feel Like Summer All Over Again him to remain in his role. They expressed concern that, if Sessions is replaced with a new Trump hire, that Attorney General could take control of the investigation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (who is only in charge because of Sessions’s recusal) and potentially influence it per Trump’s requests. “There was a time earlier in his tenure that I called him on to resign,” Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said, according to CNN. “At this point, I would have to determine the consequences knowing the president may be trying to obstruct justice.”