Donald Trump Jr.'s emails annotated by NPR reporters
Donald Trump Jr. tweeted images of emails regarding his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer on Tuesday.
An intermediary said he could connect Trump Jr. with people who had information "that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton]... and would be very useful to your father." Trump Jr. agreed to the meeting, which former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and President Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner also attended in June 2016. They met with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya, whom Trump Jr. said ultimately did not provide the promised material on Clinton.
In the emails, Trump Jr. corresponds with publicist Rob Goldstone, who represents the son of an Azerbaijan-born billionaire who has also done business with the Trumps. Trump Jr. forwarded the thread to Kushner and Manafort.
Here, the text appears in chronological order; headers were added by NPR. See the text as tweeted here, combined into one pdf. NPR journalists have annotated the text below with context and analysis.
From: Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump Jr. June 3, 2016, 10:36 AM
Good morning
Emin 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.
“Emin” is Russian pop star Emin Agalarov, and Aras is his father, a wealthy real estate billionaire who’s been called the “Donald Trump of Russia.” As NPR’s Jim Zarroli , “Trump has reportedly been on close terms with the Agalarovs since 2013, when he brought the Miss Universe pageant, which he then owned, to Moscow. It was held in a venue called Crocus City Mall, which is owned by [Aras] Agalarov. Shortly after the pageant took place, Agalarov was given the Medal of Honor, one of the country's highest civilian awards, by President Vladimir Putin.”
Emin Agalarov was once married to the daughter of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and in 2012 even included Trump in a . The Russian singer posted on Instagram following Trump’s win last November.
In reference to the “Crown prosecutor of Russia,” the reports that reference appears to be one to Yury Yakovlevich Chaika, “a Putin appointee who is known to be close to Natalia Veselnitskaya,” the Kremlin-connected attorney Trump Jr. would go on to meet with. “There is no such title as crown prosecutor in Russia — the Crown Prosecution Service is a British term — but the equivalent in Russia is the prosecutor general of Russia,” the Times notes.
NPR Politics Reporter
Despite the offer cited, Donald Trump Jr. says that no useful information was provided by Natalia Veselnitskaya. “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,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
On Monday night, Trump Jr.’s lawyer Alan Futerfas said in a statement, “Don Jr. had no knowledge as to what specific information, if any, would be discussed. Further, at no time was there ever any understanding or commitment that he, or anyone else, would find the information, whatever it turned out to be, to be reliable, credible or of interest, or would even survive due diligence.” But this part of the email chain contradicts that, as Goldstone was making a commitment that the information would at least be of interest and credible if it was in the form of “official documents.”
NPR Deputy Political Editor
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.
Goldstone doesn’t elaborate on what information his source purports to have, but he makes it clear here that it’s “high level” and explicitly spells out that it “is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” President Trump and his son that the Russian government was trying to help now-President Trump’s campaign. Trump has recently been ambiguous about Russia’s role in the 2016 election, .
NPR Politics Reporter
What do you think is the best way to handle this information and would you be able to speak to Emin about it directly?
I can also send this info to your father via Rhona, but it is ultra sensitive so wanted to send to you first.
Rhona Graff, President Trump’s executive assistant and a senior vice president at the Trump Organization, is described as a to the president. She works in Trump Tower, not the White House, but people hoping to get a message to President Trump still sometimes go through her, as and the reported in March. As the Times put it, “She is believed to have a direct line to the president.” Politico likewise reported that the president “has even directed some people to go directly to Graff rather than the White House.”
NPR Politics Reporter
Best
Rob Goldstone
This iphone speaks many languages
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From: Donald Trump Jr. To: Rob Goldstone June 3, 2016, 10:53 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?
Earlier in the email chain, Goldstone promised “very high level and sensitive information.” It’s not clear what he is referring to, but Trump Jr. later implies the information would be best released “later in the summer.” This exchange is in June. In July, WikiLeaks published hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee, which the U.S. intelligence community has concluded were breached by Russian hackers. In October, WikiLeaks published other hacked emails — which again the intel community concluded that Russia orchestrated — from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.
NPR Politics Reporter
Best,
Don
Sent from my iPhone
From: Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump, Jr. June 6, 2016, 12:40 PM
Hi Don
Let me know when you are free to talk with Emin by phone about this
Hillary info - you had mentioned early this week so wanted to try to schedule a time and day Best to you and family Rob Goldstone
Simply put, this offer puts members of the Trump campaign in a very questionable area legally. It's illegal to solicit or accept a campaign contribution from a foreign national or foreign government. Democratic campaign finance lawyer Robert Bauer told NPR’s Peter Overby that opposition research could be considered a contribution.
“It has a marketplace value,” Bauer said. “I mean there are firms that offer, for a fee, to provide opposition research to campaigns.”
Obviously, if nothing came of the meeting, as , then this doesn’t matter here. But it shows that senior-level members of the Trump campaign were open to listening to this offer, which could have been illegal had it materialized with information about Hillary Clinton. It also raises the question of whether there were other meetings with people like this one, and whether they resulted in information that did end up being used by the campaign.
NPR Producer And Reporter, Washington Desk
This iphone speaks many languages
From: Donald Trump Jr. To: Rob Goldstone June 6, 2016, 3:03 PM
Rob could we speak now?
d
Donald J. Trump Jr.
Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions The Trump Organization
725 Fifth Avenue | New York, NY |10022 | trump.com
From: Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump Jr. June 6, 2016, 3:37 PM
Let me track him down in Moscow
What number he could call?
This iphone speaks many languages
From: Donald Trump, Jr. To: Rob Goldstone June 6, 2016, 3:38 PM
My cell thanks
d
Donald J. Trump Jr.
Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions The Trump Organization
725 Fifth Avenue | New York, NY |10022 | trump.com
From: Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump, Jr. June 6, 2016, 3:43 PM
Ok he’s on stage in Moscow but should be off within 20 Minutes so I am sure can call Rob
This iphone speaks many languages
From: Donald Trump, Jr. To: Rob Goldstone June 6, 2016, 4:38 PM
Rob thanks for the help.
D
Sent from my iPhone
From: Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump, Jr. June 7, 2016, 4:20 PM
Don
Hope all is well
Emin asked that I schedule a meeting with you and The Russian government attorney who is flying over from Moscow for this Thursday.
Here, Natalia Veselnitskaya is explicitly referred to as a “Russian government attorney” here. In his statement on Sunday, Trump Jr. said, “I was not told her name prior to the meeting,” which appears true in these emails. However, he was told here that the attorney he would meet with was connected to the Kremlin.
In an interview Thursday with , Veselnitskaya claimed she “never had any damaging or sensitive information about Hillary Clinton. It was never my intention to have that.” Veselnitskaya also to NBC that she had ever worked for the Russian government. However, as The Atlantic’s Julia Ioffe said on Morning Edition, “the thing about Russia is that if you’re doing business there, you are dealing with the government. The government is so involved in every aspect of business that you can’t not have any dealings with them.”
NPR Politics Reporter
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.
Best
Rob Goldstone
This iphone speaks many languages
From: Donald Trump, Jr. To: Rob Goldstone June 7, 2016, 5:16 PM
How about 3 at our offices? Thanks rob appreciate you helping set it up.
D
Sent from my iPhone
From: Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump, Jr. June 7, 2016, 5:19 PM
Perfect...I won’t sit in on the meeting, but will bring them at 3pm and introduce you etc.
I will send the names of the two people meeting with you for security when I have them later today.
The people referred to here were apparently attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya, whom Goldstone describes as “the Russian government attorney,” and someone whom Veselnitskaya has described in interviews as an interpreter. But the second person has not been identified. This thread makes it appear that Veselnitskaya flew from Moscow to New York “for this,” in other words, that she was deployed specifically for the meeting with Trump Jr., Manafort and Kushner. The implication is that the interpreter was already in New York. It isn’t clear yet whether that second person was simply a private translator hired for this assignment or whether Russia’s intelligence services might have sent someone from the consulate there to appear with Veselnitskaya. Phil Ewing
NPR National Security Editor
best
Rob
From: Donald Trump, Jr. To: Rob Goldstone June 7, 2016, 6:14 PM
Great. It will likely be Paul Manafort (campaign boss) my brother in law and me. 725 Fifth Ave 25th floor.
A lawyer for that brother-in-law, Jared Kushner, said that Kushner had “prematurely submitted” a government form disclosing his contacts with foreign government officials. Kushner eventually supplemented his form to include more than 100 calls and meetings, including “out of an abundance of caution, this meeting with a Russian person.” The New York Times reported that these disclosures ignited a new round of reporting, which led to the bombshell email messages Donald Trump Jr. made public Tuesday. NPR Justice Correspondent
Trump Jr. says the meeting will be held at his Trump Organization office on the 25th floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan. This is one floor below where his father’s office is located, on the 26th floor.
NPR Deputy Political Editor
Sent from my iPhone
From: Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump, Jr. June 8, 2016, 10:34 AM
Good morning
Would it be possible to move tomorrow meeting to 4pm as the Russian attorney is in court until 3 i was just informed
Best
Rob
This iphone speaks many languages
From: Donald Trump, Jr. To: Rob Goldstone June 8, 2016, 11:15 AM
Yes Rob I could do that unless they wanted to do 3 today instead… just let me know and ill lock it in either way.
d
Donald J. Trump Jr.
Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions The Trump Organization
725 Fifth Avenue | New York, NY | 10022
From Rob Goldstone To: Donald Trump, Jr. June 8, 2016, 11:18 AM
They can’t do today as she hasn’t landed yet from Moscow 4pm is great tomorrow.
Best
Rob
This iphone speaks many languages
From: Donald Trump, Jr. To: Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort June 8, 2016, 12:03 PM
Meeting got moved to 4 tomorrow at my offices.
Having made his arrangements with Goldstone to meet with a Russian emissary to get information that might damage Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, Trump Jr. forwarded the entire thread to then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and to his brother-in-law Jared Kushner. Manafort, who had extensive ties with Eastern European and Russian clients in his decades of work as a political operative, later resigned from the Trump campaign over his alleged connection to pro-Russian groups in Ukraine. Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, today serves in the White House as a senior adviser to the president.
Phil Ewing
NPR National Security Editor
Best,
Don
Donald J. Trump Jr.
Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions The Trump Organization
725 Fifth Avenue | New York, NY | 10022”
