The attorney representing Donald Trump Jr., Alan Futerfas, says allegations his client was aware of Russian interference in last year’s presidential election as early as June 2016 are “much ado about nothing.”
The New York Times reported Monday that a publicist and British tabloid reporter named Robert Goldstone brokered a meeting between Trump Jr. and a Kremlin-aligned lawyer on June 9, 2016, to discuss damaging information about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton compiled by the Russian government. The email could be the first tangible evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and foreign interests.
“In my view, this is much ado about nothing,” Futerfas said of the email to The New York Times. “During this busy period, Robert Goldstone contacted Don Jr. in an email and suggested that people had information concerning alleged wrongdoing by Democratic Party front-runner, Hillary Clinton, in her dealings with Russia. Don Jr.’s takeaway from this communication was that someone had information potentially helpful to the campaign and it was coming from someone he knew.”
“Don Jr. had no knowledge as to what specific information, if any, would be discussed,” he added.
Trump Jr. himself called the story “nonsense.”
As the Times notes, there is no evidence to suggest Trump Jr.’s meeting was connected to the Russian government’s broad cyber campaign against American political organizations and institutions, including the DNC.
Trump the younger has previously denied any knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in last year’s presidential election.
“It’s disgusting, it’s so phony,” he said of the allegations to CNN’s Jake Tapper on July 24, 2016, some six weeks after the June 9 meeting.
“I can’t think of bigger lies,” he added.
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