Jeff Sessions

Jeff Sessions
Born	Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III 24 12, 1946
Birthplace	Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Known for	84th United States Attorney General; U.S. Senator from Alabama (1997–2017)
Children	3

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 84th United States Attorney General from 2017 to 2018 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, Sessions represented Alabama in the United States Senate for two decades, from 1997 to 2017, establishing himself as one of the chamber's most conservative members. His political career, spanning more than three decades of public service, has been defined by staunch opposition to illegal immigration, advocacy for strict law enforcement, and adherence to conservative legal principles. Sessions rose from the position of United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama to the state's attorney general before winning election to the Senate, where he became a prominent voice on immigration, judiciary, and fiscal policy. His tenure as U.S. Attorney General was marked by significant policy reversals on issues including marijuana enforcement, criminal sentencing, and immigration, but was overshadowed by his recusal from investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election—a decision that drew sustained criticism from President Trump and ultimately led to his forced resignation in November 2018.

Early Life

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III was born on December 24, 1946, in Selma, Alabama. He was named after his father, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions Jr., and his family's naming tradition traced back to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America, and P. G. T. Beauregard, a Confederate general. Sessions grew up in the small community of Hybart in Monroe County, Alabama, in a modest rural setting. His father operated a country store and later a farm equipment dealership.

Sessions was raised in the Black Belt region of Alabama during a period of significant racial tension and civil rights upheaval. He attended local schools in the area before pursuing higher education. His upbringing in rural south Alabama shaped many of the conservative views on law, order, and governance that would define his political career.

Education

Sessions attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Alabama School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1973.

Military Service

Following his graduation from law school, Sessions served in the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1977, attaining the rank of captain. He was assigned to the 1184th United States Army Transportation Terminal Unit during his period of service.

Career

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1981–1993)

In 1981, Sessions was appointed as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, a position he held for twelve years until 1993. During this period, he prosecuted federal cases across southern Alabama and built a reputation as a law-and-order prosecutor. His work as a federal prosecutor brought him to national attention, though not always favorably.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sessions to serve as a judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. The nomination became one of the most contentious judicial confirmation battles of the era. During hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, several witnesses testified about alleged racially insensitive remarks and conduct by Sessions. Among the allegations were claims that Sessions had called a Black assistant U.S. attorney "boy," had characterized the NAACP and the ACLU as "un-American" organizations, and had made what some witnesses described as a joking remark about the Ku Klux Klan. Sessions denied some of the allegations and provided context for others, stating that his comments had been taken out of context or mischaracterized.

The Judiciary Committee voted 10–8 against advancing his nomination to the full Senate floor, with two Republican members—Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama—joining the Democrats in opposition. The nomination was subsequently withdrawn, making Sessions only the second nominee in nearly fifty years to be rejected by the committee for a federal judgeship. The failed nomination remained a defining event in Sessions's career and resurfaced prominently during his later confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney General in 2017.

Sessions continued to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama until March 1993, when he left office following the transition to the Bill Clinton administration.

Attorney General of Alabama (1995–1997)

In 1994, Sessions was elected as the 44th Attorney General of Alabama, taking office on January 16, 1995, under Governor Fob James. He served in this capacity until January 3, 1997, when he resigned to take his seat in the United States Senate. As state attorney general, Sessions oversaw legal affairs for the state government and continued to build his profile within Alabama's Republican political establishment.

United States Senate (1997–2017)

Sessions was elected to the United States Senate in 1996, succeeding retiring Democratic Senator Howell Heflin—notably the same senator who had voted against his judicial nomination a decade earlier. Sessions won re-election in 2002, 2008, and 2014, the last of which was essentially uncontested.

During his two decades in the Senate, Sessions was considered one of the chamber's most conservative members. He served on several influential committees, including the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, and later became chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration.

Immigration

Immigration policy was a central focus of Sessions's Senate career. He was a leading opponent of comprehensive immigration reform legislation, voting against the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 and similar measures. Sessions argued that such measures amounted to amnesty for individuals who had entered the country illegally and that they would undermine the rule of law and depress wages for American workers. His opposition to increased immigration—both legal and illegal—placed him on the conservative fringe of the Republican Party for much of his Senate career, though his positions gained broader support within the party during the 2010s.

In a 2016 profile, The Washington Post noted that Sessions's long-held views on immigration had moved from the margins of Republican politics to the mainstream, particularly as Donald Trump adopted similar positions during his presidential campaign.

Fiscal and Economic Policy

Sessions took conservative positions on fiscal and economic matters throughout his Senate tenure. He voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the bank bailout), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the economic stimulus package), and the Affordable Care Act in 2009. He also signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to raise taxes.

Judicial Nominations

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions played an active role in the confirmation process for federal judges and Supreme Court nominees. He participated in hearings for several Supreme Court nominations, including those of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Sessions voted against both nominees, expressing concerns about judicial activism and the proper role of the courts.

Criminal Justice

Sessions opposed criminal justice reform efforts in the Senate, voting against such legislation in 2015. He argued that reducing sentences for drug offenders and other criminals would compromise public safety. This position foreshadowed the policies he would later implement as Attorney General.

Foreign Policy

Sessions's foreign policy positions were generally aligned with conservative Republican orthodoxy. He was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and took an interest in military readiness and national security issues throughout his tenure.

Campaign Financing

During his Senate career, Sessions received campaign contributions from a range of sources. Data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics documented his fundraising activities across multiple election cycles.

United States Attorney General (2017–2018)

Sessions was an early and prominent supporter of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. In February 2016, he became the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trump's candidacy, lending significant credibility to the campaign within the Republican establishment. Following Trump's election victory, Sessions was nominated for the position of U.S. Attorney General. He was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on February 9, 2017. He resigned his Senate seat, which was subsequently filled by the appointment of Luther Strange by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley.

Confirmation Hearings and Recusal

Sessions's confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee were contentious. During testimony, Sessions stated under oath that he had not had communications with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign and was unaware of contacts between Trump campaign members and Russian officials. However, in March 2017, news reports revealed that Sessions had met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on at least two occasions in 2016. Sessions characterized these meetings as part of his duties as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee rather than as interactions related to the Trump campaign.

Facing mounting pressure, Sessions recused himself from any Department of Justice investigations related to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The recusal was a significant moment in the early months of the Trump administration and led to the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel. President Trump repeatedly and publicly criticized Sessions for the recusal, viewing it as disloyal and arguing that it had allowed the investigation to expand unchecked.

Criminal Justice and Sentencing Policy

As Attorney General, Sessions reversed several policies of the Obama administration related to criminal justice. He rescinded a 2013 memorandum issued by former Attorney General Eric Holder that had directed federal prosecutors to avoid charging low-level, nonviolent drug offenders with offenses carrying mandatory minimum sentences. Sessions instead ordered federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible in all cases, a directive that signaled a return to tougher sentencing practices. Critics argued that this approach would exacerbate mass incarceration, while supporters contended it would serve as a deterrent to crime.

Marijuana Enforcement

In January 2018, Sessions rescinded the Cole Memorandum, an Obama-era Department of Justice policy that had effectively deprioritized federal enforcement of marijuana laws in states that had legalized the substance. The Department of Justice announced a return to standard enforcement principles, leaving decisions about marijuana prosecutions to individual U.S. Attorneys in their respective jurisdictions. The Department stated that the move represented "a return to the rule of law." The decision drew criticism from advocates of marijuana legalization and from some members of Congress who argued it created uncertainty for businesses and individuals operating legally under state law.

Immigration Enforcement

Immigration enforcement was a central priority of Sessions's tenure as Attorney General. He adopted a hard line against sanctuary cities, warning that municipalities failing to comply with federal immigration enforcement priorities would risk losing federal funding. Although President Trump issued an executive order to revoke federal funding from sanctuary cities, the order was subsequently overturned by a federal court.

Sessions also played a key role in the implementation of the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy, which resulted in the separation of families at the U.S.–Mexico border. The family separation policy drew intense criticism from civil rights organizations, religious leaders, members of both political parties, and the general public. The policy was later reversed by executive order following the widespread backlash.

China Initiative

In November 2018, Sessions announced the launch of a new Department of Justice initiative to combat Chinese economic espionage. The program was designed to address what Sessions described as systematic efforts by the Chinese government to steal trade secrets and intellectual property from American businesses and academic institutions.

Forced Resignation

On November 7, 2018—the day after the 2018 midterm elections—Sessions tendered his resignation at the request of President Trump. Trump had publicly criticized Sessions for months over his recusal from the Russia investigation and had privately expressed frustration with what he perceived as insufficient loyalty. Sessions was replaced on an acting basis by his chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, and subsequently by William Barr, who was confirmed as the 85th Attorney General in February 2019.

The American Civil Liberties Union issued a statement characterizing Sessions's departure, criticizing his record on criminal justice, immigration, and civil rights during his tenure.

2020 Senate Campaign

In 2020, Sessions sought to reclaim his former Senate seat in Alabama. He entered the Republican primary for the seat held by Senator Doug Jones, who had won a 2017 special election. Sessions faced opposition from former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, who received the endorsement of President Trump. Sessions lost the Republican runoff to Tuberville, effectively ending his bid to return to the Senate.

Post-Political Career

In August 2025, Sessions was subpoenaed by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Representative James Comer, as part of a congressional investigation into the Department of Justice's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. The committee sought testimony from Sessions regarding actions taken during his time as Attorney General.

Personal Life

Sessions is married to Mary Blackshear Sessions. The couple has three children. Sessions has been a longtime resident of Mobile, Alabama, where he maintained his home during his years in the Senate. He is a member of the United Methodist Church.

Recognition

Sessions's career has been the subject of both praise and criticism. Supporters have credited him with consistent advocacy for stricter immigration enforcement, fiscal conservatism, and a tough-on-crime approach to federal law enforcement. His early endorsement of Donald Trump's presidential campaign was seen as a pivotal moment that lent establishment credibility to the candidacy.

Critics, including civil rights organizations, have taken a different view. The ACLU characterized his tenure as Attorney General as detrimental to criminal justice reform and civil rights, citing his reversal of Obama-era sentencing policies, his actions on immigration enforcement, and his approach to marijuana enforcement. The failed 1986 judicial nomination continued to follow Sessions throughout his career, with opponents citing the testimony from those hearings as evidence of racial insensitivity.

Sessions's career trajectory—from a rejected judicial nominee in 1986 to U.S. Attorney General in 2017—has been noted by political observers as one of the more unusual arcs in modern American political history.