Controversy over Donald Trump’s links with Russia deepened on Monday following confirmation that his son and senior officials met a Russian lawyer with links to the Kremlin in June.
The revelation – first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by Mr Trump's eldest son Donald jnr – represents a significant development in the controversy over the Trump campaign team's link with Russia. It marks the first time a senior campaign official has admitted meeting a Russian individual on the pretext of securing information about Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump jnr said he agreed to meet the woman at Trump Tower as he was told she may have had “information helpful to the campaign”.
Here's my statement and the full email chain pic.twitter.com/x050r5n5LQ
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 11, 2017
Legal experts were divided on the legality of the June meeting. While it is normal practice to receive information about a political opponent, the fact that the meeting was with a foreign national could be in breach of federal election rules and could suggest a willingness to collude.
Investigation
Deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president had no knowledge of the meeting until he was told about it in the last few days. The meeting in Trump Tower is likely to be included in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian investigation. Mr Trump jnr may also be called before the various congressional committees investigating Russian interference in the election.
Despite vowing to “move forward from Russia” following his meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Hamburg on Friday, Mr Trump has become embroiled in a series of controversies since his return to the US.
In an embarrassing climbdown, the president was forced to row back on a proposal to co-operate with Russia on cybersecurity after the proposal was lambasted by both Republicans and Democrats. US intelligence services concluded last year that Russia interfered in the US election campaign.
“Partnering with Putin on a ‘cybersecurity unit’ is akin to partnering with Assad on a chemical weapons unit,” Republican senator Marco Rubio said.
