Quote (Saucisson6000 @ Jul 13 2017 01:05pm)

google translate...

http://www.lemonde.fr/donald-trump/article/2017/07/13/affaire-trump-le-9-juin-2016-une-etrange-rencontre-a-new-york_5159962_4853715.html

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WASHINGTON — The Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr. and others on the Trump team after a promise of compromising material on Hillary Clinton was accompanied by a Russian-American lobbyist — a former Soviet counterintelligence officer who is suspected by some U.S. officials of having ongoing ties to Russian intelligence, NBC News has learned.

The lobbyist, first identified by the Associated Press as Rinat Akhmetshin, denies any current ties to Russian spy agencies. He accompanied the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, to the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower attended by Donald Trump Jr.; Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law; and Paul Manafort, former chairman of the Trump campaign.

Born in Russia, Akhmetshin served in the Soviet military and emigrated to the U.S., where he holds dual citizenship. He did not respond to NBC News requests for comment Friday, but he told the AP the meeting was not substantive. “I never thought this would be such a big deal, to be honest,” he told the AP.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/russian-lawyer-brought-ex-soviet-counter-intelligence-officer-trump-team-n782851

Quote (IceMage @ Jul 14 2017 07:34pm)

Good times.

I think we can safely say this is no longer a nothingburger, at least for now.

Quote (IceMage @ Jul 14 2017 01:34pm)

Good times.

I think we can safely say this is no longer a nothingburger, at least for now.

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Born in Russia, Akhmetshin served in the Soviet military and emigrated to the U.S., where he holds dual citizenship. He did not respond to NBC News requests for comment Friday, but he told the AP the meeting was not substantive. “I never thought this would be such a big deal, to be honest,” he told the AP.

Quote (Goomshill @ Jul 14 2017 02:56pm)

Doesn't that just reinforce exactly what Donald Trump Jr said from the get-go?
That guy is a Russian-American lobbyist who's spent years lobbying against the magnitsky act, so it lends oodles more proof to the story that the meeting was just a false pretense to be lobbied over the magnitsky act



I mean, he immigrated in 1994, he's been here for decades. He's been a washington lobbyist for a long time

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To appreciate the significance of the email chain between Donald Trump Jr and Russian Goldstone requires some context.

Fact-1. The initial email indicates it is being sent at the request of Aras Agalarov.
Fact-2. Aras Agalarov is a Russian billionaire with close ties to Vladimir Putin. He was also Donald Trump’s business partner in 2013. Donald Trump Sr described Aras Agalarov and his son as ** the most powerful people in all of Russia**.
Fact-3. The email states Agalarov had become aware of “documents and information that would incriminate Hillary” and which would be delivered to Trump.
Fact-4. The email reveals Trump Jr called and spoke with Agalarov's son to verify/validate the email before proceeding further.

There are only two possibilities: (i) Aras Agalarov was duped or tricked; or (ii) the meeting proceeded exactly as intended by Russia and the documents and information was delivered (other other arrangements were agreed upon or Russia set Trump up).
The context of the email chain provide the key. Aras Agalarov, a billionaire and personal friend of Putin, is undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in the world (as described by President Trump himself). It requires suspension of reality to the point of ridiculousness to believe the meeting didn't go exactly as Agalarov intended. We can debate Russia's motives behind the email message and meeting, but it is ludicrous to believe Agalarov was duped, or tricked, or manipulated. After all, the Russian lawyer who showed up at Trump Tower is still alive.

The only logical, common sense, and likely explanation is: the documents were delivered exactly as promised (or some other business arrangement was made). What is not plausible is that the Russian lawyer ran this show - delivered nothing and just engaged in a lobbying efforts - to the embarrassment of Aras Agalarov. That just didn't happen despite what Trump Jr is claiming.
Moreover, the documents described in the email message were most likely documents obtained by the Russian government. If so, they would have been under the control of the government (read: Vladimir Putin) and not in the possession of Aras Agalarov. Agalarov would be a natural messenger between Putin and Trump due to his personal connections to both. Not only does that make sense logically, but Trump Jr's email itself is suggestive in that regard: “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.” The wording not only describes the Russian government as being involved in the election, it suggests the government as the source of the documents being discussed.

The email also reveals the Russian lawyer was already scheduled to fly from Moscow on June 8th to participate in a court hearing in NYC on June 9th at 3:00. Her schedule made her a convenient courier. She delivered the documents (or message or whatever it is she was instructed), but this meeting most definitely was not about her (or adoption). She may have been a messenger and delivery person - but she was acting for herself and she is not the story.
The facts revealed by the email - viewed logically - lead to the only rational conclusion that the Russian lawyer proceeded as intended by Agalarov (Putin) and delivered documents (or whatever was agreed upon) to Trump Jr on June 9th. Furthermore, once that conclusion is reached, the next logical "dot to be connected" falls into place: the documents delivered were from the Russian government.

And, if we accept that (1) documents were delivered Trump campaign on June 9th (2) by the Russian government; then (3) Putin has proof of #1 and #2 (Kompromat) and holds Trump's Presidency in his hands. Which explains Trump's behavior towards Russia and Putin.
Astounding as it may be (and I am in shock right now) – the inescapable conclusion is that the President of the United States is under the direct control of Russia. If that isn't a crisis for our country - if all American citizens aren't infuriated (and scared) by that - then we deserve Vladimir Putin as our President.
With this morning's still breaking story about other Russian's in the meeting, it appears we are already moving beyond the White House "story" that this was just a Russian lawyer who wanted to lobby the White House.

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Why didn't Trump Jr.(or Paul Manafort.... or Jared Kushner) report that another Russian was there at the meeting? He had ample opportunity to think back... he went on Hannity to explain the meeting.

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wall of tinfoil

Quote (IceMage @ Jul 14 2017 12:07pm)

This was on reddit yesterday, it has some very good insight:

Quote (chemoshots @ Jul 14 2017 10:45am)

but it's not illega-... err, i mean he's new at this... oh wait no, the narrative is now that hillary set all this up

Quote (Goomshill @ Jul 15 2017 06:22am)

Because he's not a Russian. He's a US citizen and has been for most of a decade, and has been living in the states since 1994.
Does anyone call Ted Cruz a "canadian"? I mean he actually gave up his dual citizenship a few years ago, but still.
Those forms don't even require you to declare anyone not in contact with a foreign government for the past 7 years let alone 24, and he claims he's not in contact, so theres that



Okay and lets poke that story full of holes

If Trump was holding valuable oppo that would incriminate Hillary, why would he sit on it for the entire campaign instead of using it, as is the entire point of getting it
If the meeting was not about the magnitsky act, why did it just happen to have 2 well known anti-magnitsky lobbyists sitting across the table
If the meeting was to arrange some super damning collusion conspiracy, why would they leave a paper trial a mile long and use unsecure communication lines
Why does everyone's account of the meeting from all sides stay consistent with the "Trump side entered expecting oppo, other side talked about magnitsky-adoptions, trump side left early when they realized it was a hoax".
If either Natalia or Rinat were really russian agents, why were they allowed to stay in the country? Why wasn't the Trump campaign contacted by the FBI at the time?
If Trump Jr knew this was some huge smoking gun that would bring down the palace walls, why would he get in front of it and be transparent?

There are far more rational explanations for Agalarov being namedropped than assuming he has to be either criminally complicit or a patsy. They've done some ridiculous stretching of a single line of an email to try to make assumptions to fit their narrative.