In a congressional hearing Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions weighed in on everything from sexual harassment accusations against Senate candidate Roy Moore to the Justice Department's policies on marijuana.

It was Sessions' first appearance before Congress since the October indictments of former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and guilty plea of George Papadopoulos. As a former surrogate for the campaign, Sessions recused from the investigation now led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Still, Sessions faced numerous questions from Democrats on it, especially about the extent to which Sessions knew of Papadopoulos' contacts with Russians, given he previously testified before the Senate that he didn't know of any contacts between the campaign and Russians.

But the Russian investigation wasn't the only issue that came up during the nearly six-hour-long hearing. Questions for the attorney general spanned a myriad of topics. Here's what Sessions had to say about several high-profile issues and consequential DOJ policies:

On accusations against Roy Moore: Sessions was asked about Moore, the candidate running to replace him as a senator for Alabama. Several women have accused Moore of sexually harassing or abusing them when they were minors or teenagers. Sessions said in the hearing he has “no reason to doubt these women.”

On appointing a special counsel to investigate Clinton: In a letter Monday, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd responded to requests from Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, and others to appoint a new special counsel to investigate matters relating to the Clinton Foundation and the sale of Uranium One to a Russian nuclear agency in 2010.

Boyd's letter said the DOJ would look into the possibility of a special counsel. During the hearing Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pushed Sessions on whether he would do so, saying it “looks like” the Clinton camp and others may have been engaged in illegal activity. But Sessions said that “looks like” was not enough of a basis to appoint a special counsel. Later, a DOJ spokesman said Sessions was “clarifying the legal basis for appointing special counsel—not passing judgment on whether it applied in any specific investigation.”

On the AT&T/Time Warner deal: Several representatives asked Sessions whether any officials from the Trump administration contacted the DOJ about the proposed merger between AT&T and Time Warner, which is still awaiting the department's approval after more than a year.

Various news outlets reported last week that DOJ officials could require AT&T to sell CNN, owned by Time Warner and reviled by President Donald Trump, to gain approval of the deal, prompting questions about political motives at the DOJ. But Sessions stayed mum on the issue, repeatedly declining to answer questions. “I am not able to comment on conversations or communications that Department of Justice's top people have with top people at the White House,” he said.

On Russian contacts: Much of the questioning from Democrats in the hearing focused on Sessions' shifting testimony about his contacts with Russian officials and what he knew about potential contacts by Papadopoulos and another Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page.

Sessions testified before senators earlier this year that he did not know of any such contacts, but Sessions led a meeting last year in which Papadopulos raised the possibility of working with Russians. Sessions said Tuesday that he had “no recollection of this meeting until [he] saw these news reports,” but that he now remembered it. He said he could not recall exactly what he said, but that he “shut down” Papadopoulos' suggestion.

On the diversity of Trump's judicial and U.S. attorney nominees: Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-Louisiana, said during the hearing that 91 percent of Trump's judicial nominees so far are white, and asked Sessions if that “foster[s] diversity.”

Sessions said he was not aware of the numbers, but that “diversity is a matter that has significance.”

Richmond then asked Sessions how many African-Americans he has on his senior staff. “I do not have a senior staff member at this time that's an African-American,” Sessions said. But he added that he has recommended black judges in his home state of Alabama and supported the nomination of Louis Franklin, the black U.S. attorney, for the Middle District of Alabama.

On marijuana: Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, asked Sessions about the DOJ's policy with respect to marijuana, given that various states have legalized it for recreational and medical use. Earlier this year, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the department was reviewing its policy with respect to marijuana, but Sessions did not give any hints Tuesday.

“Our policy is the same, really, fundamentally, as the Holder-Lynch policy,” Sessions said, referring to the two previous attorneys general. “Which is that federal law remains in effect and a state can legalize marijuana for its law enforcement purposes, but it's still illegal with regard to federal purposes.”

On investigating leaks: Sessions has made investigating illegal leaks of classified information to the media a priority at the DOJ, and even held a news conference in August on his plans for stronger enforcement. Little has been said publicly about this ramped-up policy since then, until now. Sessions said Tuesday that the DOJ currently has 27 investigations open on illegal leaks. He noted it's a significant increase—there have only been nine such investigations in the prior three years combined.

On presidential pardons: Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, asked Sessions whether Trump could pardon Papadopoulos, who has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators. Sessions said it would be “premature” for him to comment on that, but that the president has the “power to pardon, no doubt about that.”

Asked if Trump could pardon Manafort and Gates, who have pleaded not guilty, ahead of their trials or any possible convictions, Sessions said he could not comment because he had not researched the question. Deutch kept pressing, asking if Trump could pardon his own family members.

Deutsch said that though Sessions claims to be a champion of the rule of law, his answers suggest the rule of law “is crumbling at our feet.” Sessions replied that “one of the things, if you respect the rule of law, is the attorney general should not be giving legal opinions from the seat of his breeches.”

On emoluments: Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, asked Sessions about a lawsuit filed by himself and nearly 200 other Democratic members of Congress against Trump, which alleges the president illegally gets “emoluments” from foreign governments without Congressional approval to do so. It's one of several lawsuits filed against Trump under the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause alleging Trump can't legally receive certain payments to his businesses.

Raskin asked Sessions what the appropriate legal remedy is when the president receives emoluments without required congressional approval, given that the DOJ has argued the lawmakers have no standing to bring their challenge.

“I would have to take a look at that,” Sessions said. He said there has been little litigation over the emoluments clause, but that the DOJ has established rules about bringing a defense on the basis of standing. He said he would get back to the lawmaker with a clearer answer.

In a congressional hearing Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions weighed in on everything from sexual harassment accusations against Senate candidate Roy Moore to the Justice Department's policies on marijuana.

It was Sessions' first appearance before Congress since the October indictments of former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and guilty plea of George Papadopoulos. As a former surrogate for the campaign, Sessions recused from the investigation now led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Still, Sessions faced numerous questions from Democrats on it, especially about the extent to which Sessions knew of Papadopoulos' contacts with Russians, given he previously testified before the Senate that he didn't know of any contacts between the campaign and Russians.

But the Russian investigation wasn't the only issue that came up during the nearly six-hour-long hearing. Questions for the attorney general spanned a myriad of topics. Here's what Sessions had to say about several high-profile issues and consequential DOJ policies:

On accusations against Roy Moore: Sessions was asked about Moore, the candidate running to replace him as a senator for Alabama. Several women have accused Moore of sexually harassing or abusing them when they were minors or teenagers. Sessions said in the hearing he has “no reason to doubt these women.”

On appointing a special counsel to investigate Clinton: In a letter Monday, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd responded to requests from Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, and others to appoint a new special counsel to investigate matters relating to the Clinton Foundation and the sale of Uranium One to a Russian nuclear agency in 2010.

Boyd's letter said the DOJ would look into the possibility of a special counsel. During the hearing Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pushed Sessions on whether he would do so, saying it “looks like” the Clinton camp and others may have been engaged in illegal activity. But Sessions said that “looks like” was not enough of a basis to appoint a special counsel. Later, a DOJ spokesman said Sessions was “clarifying the legal basis for appointing special counsel—not passing judgment on whether it applied in any specific investigation.”

On the AT&T/Time Warner deal: Several representatives asked Sessions whether any officials from the Trump administration contacted the DOJ about the proposed merger between AT&T and Time Warner, which is still awaiting the department's approval after more than a year.

Various news outlets reported last week that DOJ officials could require AT&T to sell CNN, owned by Time Warner and reviled by President Donald Trump, to gain approval of the deal, prompting questions about political motives at the DOJ. But Sessions stayed mum on the issue, repeatedly declining to answer questions. “I am not able to comment on conversations or communications that Department of Justice's top people have with top people at the White House,” he said.

On Russian contacts: Much of the questioning from Democrats in the hearing focused on Sessions' shifting testimony about his contacts with Russian officials and what he knew about potential contacts by Papadopoulos and another Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page.

Sessions testified before senators earlier this year that he did not know of any such contacts, but Sessions led a meeting last year in which Papadopulos raised the possibility of working with Russians. Sessions said Tuesday that he had “no recollection of this meeting until [he] saw these news reports,” but that he now remembered it. He said he could not recall exactly what he said, but that he “shut down” Papadopoulos' suggestion.

On the diversity of Trump's judicial and U.S. attorney nominees: Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-Louisiana, said during the hearing that 91 percent of Trump's judicial nominees so far are white, and asked Sessions if that “foster[s] diversity.”

Sessions said he was not aware of the numbers, but that “diversity is a matter that has significance.”

Richmond then asked Sessions how many African-Americans he has on his senior staff. “I do not have a senior staff member at this time that's an African-American,” Sessions said. But he added that he has recommended black judges in his home state of Alabama and supported the nomination of Louis Franklin, the black U.S. attorney, for the Middle District of Alabama.

On marijuana: Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, asked Sessions about the DOJ's policy with respect to marijuana, given that various states have legalized it for recreational and medical use. Earlier this year, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the department was reviewing its policy with respect to marijuana, but Sessions did not give any hints Tuesday.

“Our policy is the same, really, fundamentally, as the Holder-Lynch policy,” Sessions said, referring to the two previous attorneys general. “Which is that federal law remains in effect and a state can legalize marijuana for its law enforcement purposes, but it's still illegal with regard to federal purposes.”

On investigating leaks: Sessions has made investigating illegal leaks of classified information to the media a priority at the DOJ, and even held a news conference in August on his plans for stronger enforcement. Little has been said publicly about this ramped-up policy since then, until now. Sessions said Tuesday that the DOJ currently has 27 investigations open on illegal leaks. He noted it's a significant increase—there have only been nine such investigations in the prior three years combined.

On presidential pardons: Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, asked Sessions whether Trump could pardon Papadopoulos, who has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators. Sessions said it would be “premature” for him to comment on that, but that the president has the “power to pardon, no doubt about that.”

Asked if Trump could pardon Manafort and Gates, who have pleaded not guilty, ahead of their trials or any possible convictions, Sessions said he could not comment because he had not researched the question. Deutch kept pressing, asking if Trump could pardon his own family members.

Deutsch said that though Sessions claims to be a champion of the rule of law, his answers suggest the rule of law “is crumbling at our feet.” Sessions replied that “one of the things, if you respect the rule of law, is the attorney general should not be giving legal opinions from the seat of his breeches.”

On emoluments: Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, asked Sessions about a lawsuit filed by himself and nearly 200 other Democratic members of Congress against Trump, which alleges the president illegally gets “emoluments” from foreign governments without Congressional approval to do so. It's one of several lawsuits filed against Trump under the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause alleging Trump can't legally receive certain payments to his businesses.

Raskin asked Sessions what the appropriate legal remedy is when the president receives emoluments without required congressional approval, given that the DOJ has argued the lawmakers have no standing to bring their challenge.

“I would have to take a look at that,” Sessions said. He said there has been little litigation over the emoluments clause, but that the DOJ has established rules about bringing a defense on the basis of standing. He said he would get back to the lawmaker with a clearer answer.