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Ex-lawyer claims Trump knew of 2016 meeting with Russians: media
WASHINGTON, July 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Donald Trump’s longtime personal
attorney has claimed the US president knew in advance of a June 2016 meeting
in which Russians were expected to share dirt on then-election rival Hillary
Clinton, US media reported Wednesday.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, son Donald Jr., and top campaign official
Paul Manafort met at New York’s Trump Tower on June 9, 2016 with Russian
lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who was offering information from the Russian
government.
Trump, his son, his lawyers and other administration officials have
repeatedly said he did not know about the meeting until news of it broke in
July 2017.
But according to CNN and NBC, Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen claims he
was present when Donald Jr. told his father about the Russians’ offer to
meet, and Trump approved it.
However, sources told CNN that Cohen lacks evidence such as an audio
recording to corroborate his account.
CNN and NBC reported — citing anonymous sources — that Cohen is willing
to assert his claim to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating
Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion
with Trump’s campaign.
Mueller has already indicted 31 people — including 12 Russian intelligence
agents — for hacking computer networks of the Democratic Party.
BSS/AFP/MRI/0918 hrs