Analysis: By time son walked into meeting, damage was done

[struggle4progress]

Philip Bump
Washington Post

... As he told me," the president continued, "the meeting went — and it was attended by a couple of other people who — one of them left after a few minutes — which is Jared. The other one was playing with his iPhone. Don listened, out of politeness, and realized it wasn't."

Let's say, for .. argument, that this .. is accurate. It's what .. Jr. said happened and it's what the Russian lawyer .. said happened, too. Unless one of the other attendees says something different — a group of people that extends to the president's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort (the one "playing with his iPhone&quot and music promoter Rob Goldstone — that's the story that we have to go with.

And .. it doesn't matter. Once .. Jr. (and Manafort and Kushner) walked through the door .. the damage was .. done ...

... On the day of the California and New Jersey primaries .. Jr. informs Goldstone .. the meeting .. will .. include the "campaign boss" and one of Donald Trump's closest confidantes. For a meeting two days after Trump formally clinched the Republican Party nomination ...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-son-russia-meeting-analysis-20170713-story.html

[central scrutinizer]

1. Doesn't matter

They knew Russia was sabotaging the election and did not tell the FBI.