Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify publicly before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.
A press release from the committee announced that the testimony would be open. Sessions, through a Justice Department spokesperson, requested his testimony be public so the American people could "hear the truth directly from him."
BREAKING: Attorney General Sessions asks that his testimony to the Senate intelligence committee be open to the public.
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 12, 2017
BREAKING- AG sessions will testify publicly before senate intel committee. pic.twitter.com/lLwjWvBAU5
— KELLY COHEN (@ByKellyCohen) June 12, 2017
UPDATE: Statement from Justice Dept. says Sessions wants hearing tomorrow to be public. pic.twitter.com/U4RlID7e5y
— Matt Zapotosky (@mattzap) June 12, 2017
A number of Senate Democrats had previously called for Sessions' testimony to be public.
Sessions announced over the weekend his intention to testify, which was prompted by the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday.
In a letter on Saturday, Sessions said that he wanted to answer questions raised during the Comey hearing. It is likely that those questions included Comey's claim, in a private briefing held by the intelligence committee, that Sessions held a third, undisclosed meeting with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak.
In private briefing, Comey told sens Sessions may have had a third meeting with Kislyak - at Mayflower hotel. Based on Russian intercepts
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 8, 2017
Sessions has attracted criticism for his meetings with Kislyak and subsequent nondisclosure thereof during his confirmation hearing to be attorney general.
Sessions was previously scheduled to appear that same day before the Senate Appropriations Committee. He will be replaced at that appearance by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.