Email 'linked Kremlin to Trump son meeting' - New York Times

Donald Trump Junior was informed that information offered by a Russian lawyer was part of a Russian government effort to help his father's election campaign, the New York Times reports.

Publicist Rob Goldstone, who arranged the 2016 meeting, reportedly stated this in an email.

Mr. Trump Jr has defended the meeting, at which the lawyer offered to reveal damaging material on Hillary Clinton.

Moscow and the White House both deny there was any political interference.

The FBI and Congress are currently investigating alleged Russian meddling in last year's US election, including whether any of President Trump's associates colluded with the Russian government to sway the result.

Donald Trump Jr has insisted that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, provided "no meaningful information" on his father's rival for the presidency.

The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign head, Paul J Manafort, were also at the meeting.

Mr. Goldstone has previously denied any knowledge of involvement by the Russian government.

Mr. Kushner and Mr. Manafort have not commented, although Mr. Kushner's lawyer said her client had previously disclosed the meeting on security clearance forms. 

Mr. Manafort has disclosed the meeting to congressional investigators.

A spokesman for President Trump's legal team said on Sunday that the president was "not aware of and did not attend" the meeting.

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said the meeting was a "big nothing burger".

The Times said Mr. Trump Jr had told the paper in March that he had not met any Russian nationals to discuss campaign-related matters.

It is alleged that Russian hackers stole information linked to the Clinton campaign and passed it to Wikileaks so it could be released and help tip the election towards Mr. Trump.

Congressional committees and a special prosecutor are investigating whether there was any collusion between the Trump team and the Russians.

The investigations have yet to reveal any evidence of collusion, something the president has always denied.

Last week Mr. Trump said interference in the election "could well have been" carried out by countries other than Russia and interference "has been happening for a long time".


SOURCE: BBC News