Trump attorney general Jeff Sessions met Russian ambassador

In a statement on Wednesday night, Mr Sessions said: "I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign. I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false."

Justice department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said there had been "absolutely nothing misleading about his answer".

"He was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign - not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee," she said.

Nikolai Lakhonin, press secretary of the Russian embassy in Washington, said the diplomatic mission did "not comment on numerous contacts" between Russian diplomats and "local partners", Russia's Interfax news agency reports.

Meanwhile, Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said that if the reports were accurate Mr Sessions must withdraw from the FBI investigation.

Mr Trump's National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired last month after he misled the White House about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, allegedly regarding sanctions against Moscow.