Russian-American lobbyist says he was in Trump son’s meeting
WASHINGTON — A Russian-American lobbyist says he attended a June 2016 meeting with President Donald Trump’s son that was billed as part of a Russian government effort to help the Republican campaign.
Rinat Akhmetshin confirmed his participation to The Associated Press Friday. His disclosure marks another shift in the account of the meeting.
Donald Trump Jr. did not disclose Akhmetshin’s presence in statements and emails he released on the meeting earlier this week.
Emails posted by Trump Jr. show that he was told by an associate that the meeting was part of a Russian government effort to help Donald Trump in the election. The associate who helped arrange the meeting told Trump Jr. that the lawyer had damaging information about Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and current White House senior adviser, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting.
FILE – In this Nov. 4, 2016, file photo, Donald Trump Jr. campaigns for his father Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Gilbert, Ariz. Trump has retained a New York-based lawyer to represent him. Alan Futerfas confirmed in an email to The Associated Press on July 10, 2017, that he’s the lawyer for Donald Trump Jr., who has acknowledged meeting during the presidential campaign with a Russian lawyer whom he thought might have negative information on Hillary Clinton.(AP Photo/Matt York, File)
FILE – In this Monday, June 5, 2017 file photo, senior adviser to President Donald Trump Jared Kushner, right, and Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, sit in the front row in East Room of the White House in Washington. Donald Trumpâs eldest son, son-in-law and then-campaign chairman met with a Russian lawyer shortly after Trump won the Republican nomination, in what appears to be the earliest known private meeting between key aides to the president and a Russian. Representatives of Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner confirmed the June 2016 meeting to The Associated Press after The New York Times reported Saturday, July 8, 2017 on the gathering of the men and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
FILE – In this Monday, June 5, 2017 file photo, senior adviser to President Donald Trump Jared Kushner, right, and Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, sit in the front row in East Room of the White House in Washington. Donald Trumpâs eldest son, son-in-law and then-campaign chairman met with a Russian lawyer shortly after Trump won the Republican nomination, in what appears to be the earliest known private meeting between key aides to the president and a Russian. Representatives of Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner confirmed the June 2016 meeting to The Associated Press after The New York Times reported Saturday, July 8, 2017 on the gathering of the men and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
FILE – In this Nov. 4, 2016, file photo, Donald Trump Jr. campaigns for his father Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Gilbert, Ariz. Trump has retained a New York-based lawyer to represent him. Alan Futerfas confirmed in an email to The Associated Press on July 10, 2017, that he’s the lawyer for Donald Trump Jr., who has acknowledged meeting during the presidential campaign with a Russian lawyer whom he thought might have negative information on Hillary Clinton.(AP Photo/Matt York, File)