Safely ensconced in Moscow, the Russian lawyer with Kremlin ties who met with three top Trump campaign figures at Trump Tower last summer is now offering her own version of what went down at the private meeting that has become a central focus of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
In an interview with Bloomberg published Monday, attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya claims that Donald Trump Jr. suggested that a law imposing sanctions on high-profile Russians could be reviewed if his father was elected and also requested written evidence for her allegations about Hillary Clinton’s campaign receiving illicit funds.
Veselnitskaya told Bloomberg she is prepared to provide this account to the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as to special counsel Robert Mueller. She said that she would only testify before Congress if her answers were made public—a condition that the committee has not yet agreed to.
This is the first time Veselnitskaya has offered details of her version of the June 2016 sit-down at Trump Tower. Her willingness to testify highlights the precarious position of Trump Jr., Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who were all in attendance at the meeting, which didn’t become public until after Trump took office. The eldest Trump son eagerly accepted an invitation to the meeting, which was billed as an opportunity to receive Russian government “dirt” on Clinton.
Though both Veselnitskaya and the Trump campaign have said the encounter was a bust and that she possessed no valuable information about the Democratic candidate, Mueller is investigating their exchange as part of his probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Alan Futerfas, Trump Jr.’s attorney, told Bloomberg that his client had no comment on the interview.
As Veselnitskaya recalled, Trump Jr. offered to review the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which imposed sanctions on a group of Russian officials implicated in the murder of a Russian accountant who exposed widespread government tax fraud. The law is a particular irritant to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who retaliated against its passage by barring Americans from adopting Russian children.
“Looking ahead, if we come to power, we can return to this issue and think what to do about it,’’ Veselnitskaya told Bloomberg, allegedly quoting Trump Jr.
She told the publication that Trump’s son also asked for financial documents that would support her claims that Clinton’s campaign may have received money from wealthy donors who allegedly evaded U.S. taxes, which she could not provide.
Oh please, who’s going to believe this lying Russian bitch about anything? Regardless if it appears helpful or not.
This is Putin’s lawyer putting a dagger into Trump’s heart, by knifing Don Jr. in the back. I predict Trump will panic and do something crazy very soon.
Absolutely. Nothing. It is up to the Congress of the United States to pass, alter and repeal legislation, you ignorant POS. He’s as knowledgeable about how our government works as his idiot father. Just another con artist with greasy hair and a nice suit. Putin is running this whole scam, and running circles around the Trumps.
Putin knows he’s dealing with a Fucking Moron on this side so he understands that his messages need to be simple and clear or they’ll fly right over that inflated orange head.
With Daddy out of the country, how soon does Mueller drag Junior’s pathetic ass in for a chat?
This makes clear for me perhaps the only thing that separates Trump from Putin; Putin is a killer.