If you can give me a list of people who find that argument convincing, I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell them.
But the whole ‘meeting about adoption forced on us by a DEMOCRAT who then forced us to refrain from reporting it!!!1!!!’ saga does have, behind it, a fascinating investigation into money laundering and other Russian-mafia doings:
The woman mentioned in the third paragraph, Natalia Veselnitskaya, is the one that Don Jr., Manafort, and Kushner met with. (The entire article is long but worth a read.)
It was actually Republican anti-Trumpers that hired Fusion-GPS to do oppo-research against Trump before he won the nomination. After he was their guy they cancelled the Trump dirt-digging contract, but that account at Fusion GPS was then picked up by Democrats and contracted out to Steele’s firm for intel, which was eventually continued by him pro-bono.
Why would anyone be needed to do “oppo research” on the Orange Hindenburg? Is there something hidden? Something worse than the shit that lies thick upon the ground?
It really is incredible, that statement from Junior. You can read it here:
some highlights:
**
“I was asked to have a meeting by an acquaintance I knew from the 2013 Miss Universe pageant with an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign.”**
That Miss Universe pagent is the one held in Moscow. So this is Junior, right in the opening sentence, admitting that he was asked to take a meeting by an acquaintance from Moscow with a woman who could help the Trump campaign.
** I was not told her name prior to the meeting. I asked Jared and Paul to
attend, but told them nothing of the substance. We had a meeting in June 2016. **
So he agreed to meet with a stranger, on the request of an acquaintance from Moscow, without bothering to ask who, and just happened to invite his brother-in-law and Donald’s campaign manager to drop by, who both showed up, I guess because no one has any actual work to do.
After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and
supporting Ms. Clinton. Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information. She then changed subjects and began discussing the adoption of Russian children and mentioned the Magnitsky Act. It ecame clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting.
This, again, is Junior admitting that he took this meeting on the advice of his friend from Moscow because he believed that he would be getting useful information to use against Clinton.
So Junior’s defense here is, “we tried to collude with some Russians against Hillary but they didn’t come across with the goods.” Just astonishing.
Incidentally - the child adoption thing and the Magnitsky act? Here’s a brief rundown
So when the Trump clan mentions the children’s adoptions, they’re actually talking about Russian efforts to repeal the Magnitsky act. The adoption problem was caused by their pal Vlad’s retaliation against the US for instituting the Magnitsky Act.
The NYT has more about the MAgnitsky Act and the Russian money problems it’s caused.
I don’t understand your “astonishment”. Can you tell me, with a straight face, that if Clinton’s campaign officials were told that someone “had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Republican National Committee and supporting Donald Trump” these Clinton’s campaign officials would NOT run, not walk, to meet that person?
Can you elaborate, what exactly is wrong with Trump campaign officials meeting with someone who claims that she “has information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton”?
It would be a dereliction of duty NOT to meet with such a person. And if that information actually checked out, it would be a dereliction of duty NOT to publish it.
This sure looks bad, but… The lawyer they met is described as “Kremlin-connected”. That sounds a bit vague. Does that make her a government official? Would Don Jr be required to report the meeting with her?
There is the separate issue of what the meeting was about, but is there actually a problem that DJ didn’t report the meeting?
Read up on Natalia Veselnitskaya. She was a government prosecutor and has been the point person for years regarding getting some sanctions that Putin particularly hates lifted (the Magnitsky Act). This act is linked to the adoption excuse the Trump people are using because that was Putin’s retaliatiion for the act. She is very, very Kremlin connected.
It’s not an accident that this is yet another meeting that wasn’t reported.
Don JR wouldn’t b/c he was and still is a private citizen. Jared Kushner would for his security clearance, and my understanding is that he waited until just a few days ago. The Russian lawyer, I believe, is Putin’s point person for attacking the Magnitsky Act, a US law that blacklists Russian human rights abusers that Putin is supposedly extremely pissed about.