(Video above: Sen. Jeff Sessions interviewed on CNN, August 23, 2016)

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is calling for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate whether then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought to “extort” individuals or obtain “contributions” to the Clinton Foundation in return for access to the highest levels of the U.S. government.

Judicial Watch recently obtained emails between State Department and Clinton Foundation staffers that show the level of access major Clinton Foundation donors were given to U.S. government officials during Mrs. Clinton’s time as Secretary of State.

“They show the Clinton Foundation, Clinton donors and operatives worked with Hillary Clinton in potential violation of the law,” saidJudicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

In one notable example, a top executive at the Clinton Foundation requested a State Department meeting on behalf of one of the Foundation’s largest donors, a wealthy Nigerian businessman named Gilbert Chagoury.

“We need Gilbert Chagoury to speak to the substance person re Lebanon,” The Foundation’s Doug Band wrote in the email to Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills, two top Clinton aides at the State Department. “As you know he’s a key guy there and to us and is loved in Lebanon. Very imp.”

Ms. Abedin responded by saying she would email then-U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman. Mr. Band responded that it would be better to call him and stressed it needed to happen quickly.

“The fundamental thing is you cannot be Secretary of State of the United States of America and use that position to extort or seek contributions to your private foundation,” Sen. Sessions said Tuesday on CNN. “That is a fundamental violation of law and that does appear to have happened here.”

Pressed on where there is evidence that Mrs. Clinton “extorted money,” Sen. Sessions says he believes emails show foreign governments and wealthy individuals around the world believed the surest way to gain access to the State Department was to make a donation to the Clinton Foundation.

“When people think the way that you gain entry to give to this foundation, why are these people giving money to the foundation?” Sen. Sessions asked. “Why are these people that are in countries that are very poor giving millions of dollars even hundreds of millions of dollars to a foundation that doesn’t benefit them in any direct way or the people in their country? They’re doing it to gain access, and you cannot pay for access. This last deal was that this prince asked… to get access to Hillary Clinton and meet with her and it was turned down. The foundation called and said, in fact, that he’s given 32 million dollars. Then he immediately got access. That’s wrong.”

The full interview can be viewed above.