Here's the big problem with the Trump camp's latest spin about Donald Trump Jr.

[DonViejo]

By Greg Sargent July 10 at 10:45 AM

The Trump camp’s spin in response to the latest revelations about Donald Trump Jr. is roughly as follows: Yes, Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort did meet with a Kremlin-connected lawyer in the expectation that the lawyer would provide them with information that would damage Hillary Clinton. But this is okay, because they didn’t know the identity of the lawyer beforehand, and at any rate, the promise of damaging info went nowhere, so no “collusion” happened.

The problem with the claim that they didn’t know whom they were meeting with is not simply that it strains credulity in the extreme, though it certainly does. Rather, it’s that this assertion will now be subjected to very intense investigative scrutiny, as Bob Bauer, a top campaign lawyer with Perkins Coie, explained to me in an interview this morning.

The big revelation of the moment, reported late yesterday by the New York Times, is that Trump Jr. met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya to discuss information she was supposed to have that would be damaging to Clinton. Veselnitskaya represents business executives close to the Russian government and is a leading opponent of sanctions imposed because of Russian human rights abuses — sanctions that are also opposed by Vladimir Putin. Also at the meeting were Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and Manafort, then Trump’s campaign chairman. The Post reported that the meeting was arranged by a music publicist friendly with Trump Jr., who said he had done this at the request of a Russian client.

On Monday morning, senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway sparred extensively with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos about the revelations. Her spin echoed key elements of a careful statement from Trump Jr. that was issued as the Times story was coming together. That statement allowed that Trump Jr. and the others had met with “an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign” but that he “was not told her name prior to the meeting.” Trump Jr. added that it “quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information” and that she changed the subject to other topics.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/07/10/heres-the-big-problem-with-the-trump-camps-latest-spin-about-don-jr

[rufus dog]

1. One more item that stains credulity

Each one of those in the meeting FORGOT that they met with her.

[Leith]

2. AND That Their Express and Only Purpose

Was to get dirt on HRC and the Democratic Party. They lost interest and left when they didn't get it.

[onethatcares]

3. you can't possibly expect

people of that caliber to have secretaries/handlers/assistants to keep track of these things. Hmmmmmm, next thing, they'll be driving their own automobiles.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. ROFL

Enter Goldstone (Weirdo Publicist for Russian Oligarch Pop Star and Son of Putinite Real Estate Dude). Sitting on synthetic stump in his office combing back hair, Trump Jr.

Goldstone: Don Junior - have I got a scoop for you!
Don Jr.: Oh yeah?
Goldstone: I want to set up a meeting with a person who has the straight goods on Crooked Hillary!
Don Jr.: Oh yeah? That's dope, bro.
Goldstone: Er, yeah. 33,000 emails. Good stuff. Incriminating stuff! So, what say you meet tomorrow at Trump Tower. Say, 2:00?
Don Jr.: Fuck yeah. Hold up. Lemme get Manafort and Jared to come, too.
Goldstone: Cool. Conference room on 39?
Don Jr.: Yeah, man! Let's do this.

(High five, exeunt)