"It's going to be forgotten.”
That was President Richard Nixon's first assessment of the Watergate break-in on June 20, 1972, three days after five men were apprehended for unlawfully entering Democratic National Committee headquarters.
It was the cover-up of that event and its ties to Nixon that led to his resignation.
Flash forward to the Trump Tower meeting, which the POTUS himself now admits he described as a meeting about adoptions. POTUS's personal lawyer (Gulliani) is hard at work trying to slow roll the info out on the Trump Tower meeting, but NBC News already has him (and Trump) in their crosshairs:
For all the attention to Rudy Giuliani’s “Truth isn’t truth” comment on “Meet the Press” yesterday — and we’ll get to it below — President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer made an even more startling statement on the program. Giuliani declared that the Trump campaign representatives who met with Russians in that June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting (Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner) didn’t know they were representatives of the Russian government.
GIULIANI: [T]he meeting was originally for the purpose of getting information about, about Clinton… It turned out to be a meeting about another subject and it was not pursued at all. And, of course, any meeting with regard to getting information on your opponent is something any candidate’s staff would take. If someone said, I have information about your opponent, you would take that meeting. If it happens to be a person with a Russian —
CHUCK TODD: From the Russian government?
GIULIANI: She didn’t represent the Russian government, she’s a private citizen. I don’t even know if they knew she was Russian at the time. All they had was her name.
TODD: They didn’t know she was Russian, I think they knew she was Russian, but ok.
GIULIANI: Well, they knew it when they met with her, not when they set up the meeting. You, you told me, you, you asked me, you know, did they show an intention to do anything with Russians? Well, all they knew is that a woman with a Russian name wanted to meet with them. They didn’t know she was a representative of the Russian government and indeed, she’s not a representative of the Russian government. So, this is much ado about nothing.
The story goes on (pay attention to the dates):
"Giuliani declares they didn’t know Natalia Veselnitskaya was connected with the Russian government. But we know that isn’t true."
Indeed, the June 3, 2016 email that publicist Rob Goldstone sent Donald Trump. Jr. about the meeting specifically said it was “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”
GOLDSTONE: Emin [Agalarov] just called and asked me to contact you with something very interesting. The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump - helped along by Aras and Emin. What do you think is the best way to handle this information and would you be able to speak to Emin about it directly? (Emphasis is ours.)
DONALD TRUMP JR: Thanks Rob I appreciate that. I am on the road at the moment but perhaps I just speak to Emin first. Seems we have some time and if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer. Could we do a call first thing next week when I am back?
Then, on June 7, 2016, Goldstone wrote to Trump Jr. again:
GOLDSTONE: Emin asked that I schedule a meeting with you and The Russian government attorney who is flying over from Moscow for this Thursday. I believe you are aware of the meeting - and so wondered if 3pm or later on Thursday works for you? I assume it would be at your office. (Emphasis is ours.)
TRUMP JR: How about 3 at our offices? Thanks rob appreciate you helping set it up.
So for Giuliani to claim that Donald Trump Jr. — or anyone else associated with the Trump campaign — didn’t know Veselnitskaya and others were connected to the Russian government doesn’t pass the smell test. The facts don’t back it up.
Recall that Trump has since admitted that he played a role in drafting the "adoption" statement that is now not only false but that tried (obviously) to distance the Trump campaign meeting form the Russian govt. Gulliani's still trying.
Manafort was at the meeting at the Trump Tower. A Jury is out on him now and the "better" trial still awaits. Trump Jr is also definitely in the crosshairs
