The "bait and switch" does not work in Trump Jr's favor. Trump Jr met with Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya to specifically because he thought he was going to get opposition research on Hillary Clinton. Veselnitskaya turned it into a discussion on the Magnitsky Act much to his chagrin. Trump Jr's own emails bear this out. Remember;
From Goldstone's initial email: "The Crown prosecutor of Russia…offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia…This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump...I can also send this info to your father via Rhona, but it is ultra sensitive so wanted to send to you first."
Trump Jr.'s response: "…if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer."
https://www.axios.com/trump-jr-email...3b7050a30.html
His intent was to get damaging information on Clinton from a foreign government.
So then you ask:
Yes, it is. It's a violation of Federal Election law.
§ 110.20 Prohibition on contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures, and disbursements by foreign nationals ( 52 U.S.C. 30121, 36 U.S.C. 510).
(b)Contributions and donations by foreign nationals in connection with elections.
A foreign national shall not, directly or indirectly, make a contribution or a donation of money or other thing of value, or expressly or impliedly promise to make a contribution or a donation, in connection with any Federal, State, or local election.
(c)Contributions and donations by foreign nationals to political committees and organizations of political parties. A foreign national shall not, directly or indirectly, make a contribution or donation to:
(1) A political committee of a political party, including a national party committee, a national congressional campaign committee, or a State, district, or local party committee, including a non-Federal account of a State, district, or local party committee, or
(2) An organization of a political party whether or not the organization is a political committee under 11 CFR 100.5.
Other thing of value means information.
If Trump Jr was too stupid to realize that information provided to him by Russian citizens that he was told was provided by The Crown Prosecutor of Russia to help his father's campaign was not a campaign contribution, Paul Manafort, who was also in the meeting and worked on several political campaigns most certainly knew this was not legal. In any event, as they say, ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Aside from the legal aspect, is Trump Jr that stupid to not realize that if the Russians were going to give him something that they would want something in return? That
Russians would want something in return from
him? In his 40 plus years on this earth, did he never realize that Russia has been our geopolitical adversary for the last 70 years? Never saw a James Bond or other spy movie to get an idea of Russians and espionage works?
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