Amy Zegart: “The key word in The New York Times piece is ‘flurry.’ There isn’t one email exchange. There are many. Trump Jr.’s email ‘dump’ will not be the end of the story. Instead, as Churchill once said, it’s just the end of the beginning. Investigators and journalists will be following the email trail.”
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Trump Jr. Emails Suggest He Broke the Law
Rick Hasen: “Just to recap where we are: It is illegal for a person to solicit a contribution to a campaign from a foreign individual or entity.”
“Looking at the emails, it seems pretty serious…. Hard to see how there is not a serious case here of solicitation. Trump Jr. appears to have knowledge of the foreign source and is asking to see it.”
“It is also possible other laws were broken, such as the laws against coordinating with a foreign entity on an expenditure. There could also be related obstruction, racketeering, or conspiracy charges, but these are really outside my area of specialization and I cannot say. But there’s a lot for prosecutors to sink their teeth into.”
Flashback Quote of the Day
“It’s disgusting. It’s so phony… I can’t think of bigger lies.”
— Donald Trump Jr., in a CNN interview on July 24, 2016, on the Clinton campaign’s claims that the Russians were helping his father.
Trump’s Son Lawyers Up
Donald Trump Jr. has hired New York lawyer Alan Futerfas, who specializes in criminal defense, to represent him in connection with Russia-related investigations, Reuters reports.
Bush Lawyer Suggests Trump Son Committed Treason
Bush ethics lawyer Richard Painter blasted Donald Trump Jr. for meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have compromising information on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton during the campaign, saying it “borders on treason,” The Hill reports.
Said Painter: “This was an effort to get opposition research on an opponent in an American political campaign from the Russians, who were known to be engaged in spying inside the United States.”
He added: “We do not get our opposition research from spies, we do not collaborate with Russian spies, unless we want to be accused of treason.”
Trump Son Won’t Run for Governor Next Year
“Donald Trump Jr., rumored to be eyeing a move to follow his father’s footsteps into politics, will not be a candidate for governor of New York next year but is not ruling out a possible run for office in the future,” the AP reports.
Said Trump: “I am not running in 2018.”
Donald Trump Jr. for Governor?
Donald Trump Jr. “wants to run for political office, telling members of an elite gun club that he could set his sights on becoming governor of New York,” the New York Post reports.
Said one guest: “Don Jr. said he is interested in running for office, such as governor of New York, but the position of mayor of New York would be less interesting to him.”
Trump himself reportedly said: “Going back to doing deals is boring after 18 months. The politics bug bit me.”
Trump Son Claims ‘Zero Contact’ with His Father
Donald Trump Jr. “said he has had virtually no contact with his father since the real estate tycoon and reality star became president and ceded control of his business empire to his oldest sons,” NBC News reports.
Said Trump: “I basically have zero contact with him at this point.”
Trump’s Son Held Talks on Russia
“Donald Trump’s eldest son, emerging as a potential envoy for the president-elect, held private discussions with diplomats, businessmen and politicians in Paris last month that focused in part on finding a way to cooperate with Russia to end the war in Syria,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The disclosure of a meeting between the younger Mr. Trump and pro-Russia figures—even if not Russian government officials—poses new questions about contacts between the president-elect, his family and foreign powers. It is also likely to heighten focus on the elder Mr. Trump’s stated desire to cooperate with the Kremlin once in office.”
