Trump Jr. Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — Before arranging a meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer he believed would offer him compromising information about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Jr. was informed in an email that the material was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father’s candidacy, according to three people with knowledge of the email.

The email to the younger Mr. Trump was sent by Rob Goldstone, a publicist and former British tabloid reporter who helped broker the June 2016 meeting. In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Trump acknowledged that he was interested in receiving damaging information about Mrs. Clinton, but gave no indication that he thought the lawyer might have been a Kremlin proxy.

Mr. Goldstone’s message, as described to The New York Times by the three people, indicates that the Russian government was the source of the potentially damaging information. It does not elaborate on the wider effort by Moscow to help the Trump campaign. There is no evidence to suggest that the promised damaging information was related to Russian government computer hacking that led to the release of thousands of Democratic National Committee emails.

But the email is likely to be of keen interest to the Justice Department and congressional investigators, who are examining whether any of President Trump’s associates colluded with the Russian government to disrupt last year’s election. American intelligence agencies have determined that the Russian government attempted to sway the election in favor of Mr. Trump.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-russia-email-candidacy.html

---

Oops!

[applegrove]

1. Oh my.

[Catmusicfan]

2. Shit it can't stop breaking.

[spinbaby]

51. Seriously

Every time I look away, something breaks. It's beginning to remind me of Watergate in that most of the time nothing is happening, but you can't take your eyes off of it.

[DanTex]

3. Whoa! This is starting to get interesting.

[Igel]

37. Not really.

Read it for what it probably says, and it's not that interesting.

Read it for what we'd like it to say, and it's riveting.

The interpretations differ, but the words remain the same. I can't bring myself to say that neither reading is privileged. One clearly is. And if it goes to a committee or jury that's unbiased, that's likely to be the dominant reading.

What I mean to say, and say plainly, is that one should never let one's own reading of a text efface what the creator of the text probably intended. If for no other reason that when others do it to us, we get highly incensed. If that's not sufficient, and it likely won't be for many since it involves a particular sense of morality, there's another.

Consider this: We read it one way because it suits us to do so (and we're what really matters). Others will read it a different way because it suits them to do so. We remember not the words we saw but the words that express the meaning we gleaned, but we're all too thick to realize that the words we recite in quotation are very often not the words we saw. We know what we remember; but that doesn't mean we know what we saw.

[DanTex]

53. Actually, yes, really.

This isn't an abstract poem, we're talking facts here, not readings. And this is the first evidence of actual collusion.

Now, do I think that anyone is going to prison for this specific meeting? No. But it keeps the drip going, and takes the Russia probe to a new place that was just speculative until now.

So, yeah, it's getting interesting.

[vkkv]

4. The editor of our tiny local paper told me that "it's going to be a good year"

in an email re: my Letter To The Editor.

At first I didn't think that was correct..

uuu aaaAAArrrrrhaw haw haw haw haw haw !

[eleny]

5. This is *the* breaking news of the year. nt

[gldstwmn]

28. To date...

Best breaking news to date.

[eleny]

45. lol, well yeah!

[Eugene]

6. It's alright. Uday isn't a politician. He didn't realize he was committing treason.

BTW, I have a bridge I can sell you, real cheap.

[Ilsa]

25. "Ignorance of the law is no excuse!"

That was drilled into our heads at public high school and public university, over and over.

[mr_lebowski]

42. What 'law' are you talking about?

I've seen very little to date that explicitly outlines the 'law(s) broken' even if Trump 100% and fully colluded with Russia w/the intent to beat Hillary. Even if Trump himself was found to have said 'we'll drop the sanctions if you help us'.

What LAW are we talking about here, with any of it?

What would it be ... 'Hacking' laws? Is that it?

[Ilsa]

49. Different angles are being looked at, from what I've seen.

One is campaign finance law:

§ 110.20 Prohibition on contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures, and disbursements by foreign nationals (52 U.S.C. 30121, 36 U.S.C. 510).

"The law prohibits foreign nationals from providing “anything of value… in connection with” an election." Snip -- http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2017/06/collusion-foreign-government-becomes-crime/

"... investigators will examine whether there were Trump campaign communications or private assurances to foreign nationals—including Russians and associates of Wikileaks acting as their “agents”—to encourage them or help coordinate the dissemination of these materials. Coordination at this level could well trigger the application of other provisions of the rules directed at the political campaign’s acceptance or receipt of the Russian assistance, or even its direct solicitation of it. "

I'm sure the hacking angle is also part of it. I'd feel better if someone from the campaign is found to be directing the hacking, not just of the dnc, but the voter registration machines. I guess we'll know when Mueller charges someone.

[olegramps]

59. Are you serious? Collusion to corrupt elections is a major felony.

It becomes a matter of treason when conspired to do so with a foreign government. These matters would have to be litigated, however, only a fool would place themselves in this jeopardy. Regardless of conviction, such a fool would be putting themselves in a position of being branded an enemy of the Republic. Perhaps people will eventually come to their senses and realize that today's Republican Party is nothing more than a criminal enterprise that is involved in massive deception to profit the oligarchs who finance the destruction of the Republic.

[mr_lebowski]

61. I'm asking for statute(s) here ... not basically anecdotal declarations from random internet folk :)

No offense ...

[montanacowboy]

7. BOOM BOOM BOOM

The Tiny Canon said!

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaa

[Satch59]

8. Yowza...was reading over the weekend that the first story on Sat

Was an appetizer...that the next courses were going to be served this week...

Is Mueller getting ready to announce charges??

[ancianita]

9. Rachel is relaying this on MSNBC this very minute.

[SHRED]

10. Why isn't he arrested?

[Skittles]

11. TIME FOR HIM TO CHANGE HIS STORY YET AGAIN

TRUMP INC = TREASONOUS BASTARDS

[BadgerMom]

12. Kick!

[SummerSnow]

13. These are the 'real' emails

[dalton99a]

44. Bingo.

[.99center]

14. You do not collaborate with Russian spies, unless us want to be accused of treason.

"Donald Trump Jr. was informed in an email that the material was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father’s candidacy"

[Leghorn21]

15. I...I rather enjoyed the last paragraph, m'self:

"The president was aggravated by the news of the meeting, according to one person close to him — less over the fact that it had happened, and more because it was yet another story about Russia that had swamped the media cycle."

[annabanana]

19. Yes. totally consistent. . . . n/t

[deminks]

16. Boom goes the baby cannon.

Link to tweet

[Leghorn21]

30. Hey, deminks - oh how I l o v e d this tweet exchange from earlier today:

Replying to @benjaminwittes
Can someone please explain #babycannon ?


Replying to @ibandrews and 5 others
When a male cannon and a female cannon love each other very much...

[deminks]

46. That was one of my favorite tweets of the day. LOL.

[Still In Wisconsin]

17. Nothing Beavis and Butthead have done matters until enough Republicans say it does.

Do they still get to lower taxes for the 1%? Yeah?

Then they're fine with this.

[berksdem]

52. +1

Nothing will come.of this..

[pangaia]

18. Any republican member of congress who supports this asshole

shitfaced family is as guilty as they are.

[OliverQ]

20. So like, when are some indictments going to go out and put a stop to this insanity?

The Trump team/family is a criminal enterprise committing treason.

Trump is illegitimate. Clinton is the rightful President.

[hamsterjill]

32. +1000

Bring it!!!! I want that Cheeto out of the White House!!!!!

[LovingA2andMI]

21. Got Them!!!

The Ship Is Going Down Folks. Get Ready (Or Have The Boxing Gloves Ready) for President Pence -- As It's Going To Happen.

[Stuart G]

23. I sure hope you are correct..If Junior is indicted., then what?

Will Drump fire Mueller?..or will he fire Mueller before any indictment?..So if Mueller is fired, to prevent the ship from going down...Then What????...

[LovingA2andMI]

29. Good Questions....

First, the Republicans are readying for Mike Pence. If Trump fires Mueller, the Senate and House Republicans throw Trump under the bus and Impeach him with the help of all the Democrats and just enough Republicans to get them over the line. Then the Republicans try (and fail) to save face in a vain (and totally not going to work based on history) attempt to elect Mike Pence as POTUS in 2020.

Our thought on what will happen.

[riversedge]

22. nyt saying Don Sr. only found out of meeting at end of his trip.....

........News of the meeting involving the younger Mr. Trump, Mr. Kushner and Mr. Manafort blunted whatever good feeling the president’s team had after his trip to Europe for the Group of 20 economic summit.

The president learned from his aides about the 2016 meeting at the tail end of the trip, according to one White House official. But some people in the White House had known for several days that it had occurred, because Mr. Kushner had revised his foreign contact disclosure document to include it.

The president was aggravated by the news of the meeting, according to one person close to him — less over the fact that it had happened, and more because it was yet another story about Russia that had swamped the media cycle.

[Justice]

24. I don't believe him

[Juliusseizure]

38. This is a fucking joke

I guess Nixon didn't know about Watergate either. Everyone working under him just randomly committed crimes.

Trump doesn't know anything, yet he's knee deep in personal Russian financial entanglements with friends of Putin oligarchs and mobsters.

Every fucking member of his campaign staff and half his cabinet have substantial political and/or direct business ties with Russia, Russian cyberfirms, banks - Manafort, Page, Exxon, Wilbur Ross, Bannon, and met with Russian officials
behind his back at Trump Tower (from a secret entrance) and venues he was at simultaneously. What a small world it is when every campaign advisor is a friend of a friend of Putin.

He has every motivation to sell the US to Russia for bargain basement prices, but he doesn't know anything. Why do his family and his closest associates keep establishing secret backchannel communications, hold meetings with Russian officials,banks, and any Russian linked with Putin with dirt or money, and leave him clueless?

I just have to believe Trump's a genius at coverup. There's no alternative that makes sense except collusion with the GOP and/or intelligence agencies to hide evidence.

[riversedge]

55. I it silly to think that Jr. did not tell his Dad.

[Juliusseizure]

57. Thank you for summing up my rant

[tblue37]

35. He knew all along. What aggravated him was finding out that the investigators know, and

also that the story was eclipsing what he viewed as his own G20 star turn.

[mchill]

36. When Kushner reported this meeting in his revised SF-

wouldn't Trump have known? One would hope someone would have informed him of the Kushner updates. (Sorry, don't know which SF form this is.)

[Ilsa]

26. Someone send a moving van for their clothes and

personal effects.

Send Mayflower. They tend to fuck everything up.

[cilla4progress]

27. Huge other shoe dropping

On Lawrence O'Donnell

[mtngirl47]

31. The Russian news is like the plot from an intricate John Le Carre spy novel. n/t

[Thinkingabout]

33. It appears the Trump family is deep into corruption, mafia like, they seem very at

ease with corruption.

[SeattleVet]

34. In other good news related to this...

it seems that the lawyer that Jr. just hired has, in at least one past case, had a son give evidence against his father to keep from going to jail.

Wonder if this is an indication of other good news to come...

[OliverQ]

39. Just saw a tweet from June 9th where Reince Priebus was spotted entering Trump Tower.

Which means he most likely knew about this meeting.

[FailureToCommunicate]

40. Finally a smoking gun!

Republicans: "Nyet, just someone smoking something"

[Hortensis]

50. Probably 100 smoking guns. Now we're hearing

snaps and crackles and seeing flickers of flames. At that, this is only one patch of trees, while smoke arises in billows and wisps from a bunch of places in the forest.

Notably, as potentially disastrous as this is, it does not at all explain Rump's own very peculiar insistence on serving Putin's wishes. That is the one part of his behavior that has remained consistent.

We've heard Mueller has brought in 15 top-flight attorneys to help and that it could easily take a year for them to get to the bottom of all this. Does anyone have any idea how many people are working on this total--so far? Do they each generally have a couple of assistants, or staffs with field investigators, etc.?

[cstanleytech]

41. Question is did Jr know or suspect it was from the Russian government and if so did Sr know and

approve of the contact beforehand or try to cover it up afterwards? If the answer for Sr is no and no evidence emerges otherwise then Sr will be safe.

[muriel_volestrangler]

47. This is saying Jr did know. Hard to believe he kept that from Kushner, and Manafort the campaign mgr

so it should mean that the campaign itself knew. Trump Sr is then left to plea "my campaign told me nothing from June 2016 onwards. They've told me nothing for a year now that I haven't seen on Fox. That's why I've been casting doubt on Russian involvement when even my idiot son knew about that". That would bring presidential ignorance to a whole new level.

[cstanleytech]

54. It would probably be more along the lines of

"I am completely shocked and appalled to discover that my son and others conducted such illegal activities behind my back and they shall all be severely punished." followed eventually by "Today I have reached a decision to issue pardons for those such as my son involved in contacting the Russian government in order to allow our nation to heal."

[Gothmog]

43. From Prof. Tribe

[Achilleaze]

48. sleazy treasonous republicans

lie about everything

[tclambert]

56. Why, that gun appears to be smoking.

[mr_lebowski]

58. I really hate when news outlets throw in 'cover' for the fcking Trumps when there's no need for it

"There is no evidence to suggest that the promised damaging information was related to Russian government computer hacking that led to the release of thousands of Democratic National Committee emails"

Why the fuck blurt that out? How the hell do THEY know what 'evidence' of this there may or may not be? And they just say it so absolutely, like 'that's it, no evidence, end of story!'. It's bullshit, man.

At a minimum they should say 'to date, no evidence has been provided to the Times that would prove that this material was related to Russian hacking of the DNC' ... if they're going to say something like this at all.

Pisses me off how often the media, ALL media that's not strongly left-leaning ... does this exact kinda shit for TrumpCo.

[thegoose]

60. This story reminds me of a couple of other famous brothers...

[c-ville rook]

62. Have we hit crime yet?

If not how further down do we have to drill?

And how far to impeachment?