Trump Jr.'S Russian Meeting: Legal Or Not?

In June 2016, Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, who he believed would offer damaging information about Hillary Clinton. This meeting has raised questions about whether Trump Jr. broke the law.

While collusion is not itself a federal crime, legal experts have suggested that Trump Jr. may have violated campaign finance law, which prohibits foreign governments from making contributions to US political campaigns. However, others argue that the law only applies to monetary donations, not the exchange of information.

Some experts also believe that Trump Jr. could be vulnerable to charges of obstruction of justice due to his shifting accounts of how the meeting transpired.

Ultimately, it is unclear whether Trump Jr. broke the law, and no charges have been brought against him.

Did Trump Jr. break campaign finance law?

In June 2016, Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, who he believed would offer damaging information about Hillary Clinton. This meeting was also attended by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and Paul Manafort, his former campaign manager.

The question of whether Trump Jr. broke campaign finance law depends on the nature of his cooperation with Russia. While collusion is not itself a federal crime, it is illegal to solicit contributions from foreign nationals.

Some legal experts argue that Trump Jr. may have violated federal campaign finance law by accepting "opposition research" from a foreign national, which could be considered a "contribution" or "donation of money or other thing of value" in connection with an election. However, others disagree, stating that exchanging information with a foreign national would not count as a campaign contribution.

Trump Jr. has denied any wrongdoing, and no law enforcement officials have accused him of committing a crime. The political liability for the Trump administration is clear, however, as they are forced to spend another news cycle fighting the narrative of Russian collusion.

Did the meeting constitute collusion?

The term "collusion" is vague and is not a federal crime in itself. However, the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya has raised questions about potential violations of campaign finance law and other statutes.

Campaign Finance Law

According to federal campaign finance law, foreign governments are prohibited from making contributions to US political campaigns, and this includes "anything of value" connected to the campaign. While collusion typically refers to price-fixing in antitrust law, it is being used colloquially in this context to imply improper coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The hacked Podesta emails, which were transmitted to WikiLeaks, could be considered "of value," and their connection to the election is not disputed. However, it is unclear if courts would interpret a campaign accepting information from a foreign government as an in-kind contribution that violates campaign finance law.

Soliciting Contributions from Foreign Nationals

Some legal experts argue that the coordination between the Trump campaign and Veselnitskaya could violate laws against soliciting contributions from foreign nationals. This is illegal whether or not the contribution (in this case, non-existent opposition research) is delivered.

Obstruction of Justice

Trump Jr. could face legal trouble for providing shifting or untruthful explanations to investigators probing links between the Trump campaign and Russia. While lying to the public or media is generally not a crime due to free speech protections, providing false statements or obstructing justice in an investigation is illegal.

Treason

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, Clinton's former running mate, stated that Trump Jr.'s actions rose to "potentially treason." However, treason is rarely prosecuted, and it is unclear if Russia is considered an "enemy" of the US as defined by the treason clause.

The Logan Act of 1799

The Logan Act bars citizens from engaging in correspondence or intercourse with foreign governments to influence their conduct regarding disputes or controversies with the US. However, this Act has never been successfully used, and it is highly unlikely to be employed against Trump Jr.

While the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Natalia Veselnitskaya has sparked intense scrutiny and debate, it is challenging to definitively conclude that it constituted collusion or violated specific laws. The political liability for the Trump administration is clear, but the criminal liability is less certain and depends on the interpretation of relevant statutes by legal experts and investigators.

Did Trump Jr. obstruct justice?

In 2016, Donald Trump Jr. met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya after being promised information that would incriminate Hillary Clinton. This was part of "Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump", according to the email correspondence preceding the meeting.

While this meeting may not have broken any laws, Trump Jr. could find himself in legal trouble for his shifting accounts of how the meeting transpired. If he provides shifting or untruthful explanations to investigators probing links between the Trump campaign and Russia, he could be charged with providing false statements or obstructing justice.

Lying to the public or the media is generally not a crime, thanks to the broad free speech protections of the First Amendment. However, Trump Jr.'s initial denial of the meeting and subsequent contradictory statements could be seen as attempts to obstruct justice.

It is important to note that proving obstruction of justice is challenging, as prosecutors must establish corrupt intent beyond a reasonable doubt. In the case of Trump Jr., it would need to be proven that he intended to impede or thwart the investigation with his actions and statements.

Did Trump Jr. commit treason?

Donald Trump Jr. is the son of former US President Donald Trump. In 2016, during his father's presidential campaign, Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, who offered to provide incriminating information about Hillary Clinton, Trump's opponent in the presidential race. This meeting, along with other links between the Trump campaign and Russia, has led to questions about whether Trump Jr. committed treason.

Treason is defined in the US Constitution as either "levying war" against the US or "adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort". The US has not declared war on Russia, so the meeting with Veselnitskaya would likely not be considered treasonous. However, some legal experts argue that Trump Jr. may have broken campaign finance laws if the information offered by Veselnitskaya is considered "of value" under campaign finance law. There is also a possibility that he could be charged with obstruction of justice if he provides false or misleading statements to investigators.

To date, no law enforcement officials have accused Trump Jr. of committing a crime, and he has denied any wrongdoing. The investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government.

Did Trump Jr. violate the Logan Act of 1799?

The Logan Act of 1799 is a United States federal law that criminalises the negotiation of a dispute between the United States and a foreign government by an unauthorised American citizen. The Act was passed following George Logan's unauthorised negotiations with France in 1798 and was signed into law by President John Adams on January 30, 1799.

The Act states that any US citizen:

> "without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than three years, or both."

Only two people have ever been indicted on charges of violating the Act, and neither was convicted. The Act has never been successfully used, and there is a legal doctrine that says statutes may lapse if they are never enforced.

In 2024, experts debated whether Donald Trump Jr. may have violated the Logan Act by meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Trump Jr. is not employed by the US government, and the meeting focused on discussions about "the future of Hungarian-American relations, the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, and opportunities for peace creation".

Some legal experts argue that the meeting raises questions about the Logan Act, as Trump Jr. spoke with Orban regarding US foreign policy as it relates to Ukraine. However, others believe that the Department of Justice would be unwise to pursue any action, as the Act has not been regularly invoked, and any action would be seen as political.

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