If BuzzFeed News' bombshell is accurate, Donald Trump Jr. lied to Congress too
President Trump may not be the only one in legal jeopardy after BuzzFeed News' bombshell report.
In Friday's report, sources told BuzzFeed Newsthat Trump directed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the Moscow Trump Tower project. But before that, the report says Trump's children "Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. received regular, detailed updates about the real estate development from Cohen" — something Donald Trump Jr. has denied to Congress.
Cohen — who was reportedly in charge of the Trump Tower project — once said discussions with Russia about the project stopped in January 2016. He took that back in a guilty plea last November, saying he lied to Congress and affirming that discussions actually continued beyond January. That statement contradicted Trump Jr.'s insistence that discussions ended earlier, though as Trump Jr. claimed to the Senate Intelligence Committee in September 2017, he knew "very little" about what was happening with the project anyway.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
BuzzFeed News' Friday report explicitly contradicts that statement, meaning Trump Jr. would've lied to Congress just like Cohen has admitted to doing. It also provides a potential explanation for a smattering of contacts Trump Jr. has had with various Russians, as pointed out by Axios. And it all helps solidify an August 2018 report from The Washington Post, which says the president worried Trump Jr. "inadvertently may have wandered into legal jeopardy."
Read more about the BuzzFeed News report's consequences for Trump Jr. at Axios.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
How is aid getting into Gaza right now?
Today's Big Question The international effort to provide Palestinians with essentials during wartime has become a Gordian knot of logistics
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The lows of an unregulated high: Teens are using marijuana alternative delta-8
In the Spotlight More than 1 in 10 high school seniors have reported using the substance, which contains concentrated THC
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Michigan shooter's dad guilty of manslaughter
speed read James Crumbley failed to prevent his son from killing four students at Oxford High School in 2021
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russians start to vote in election Putin will win
speed read Putin's opponents are mostly in prison, exiled or dead
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Schumer slams Netanyahu, calls for new leader
speed read The senator — one of Israel's most avid supporters — criticized the country's handling of the Gaza war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Grandstanding about the existential threat climate change poses'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
South Dakota governor sued over Texas dentist promo
speed read Gov. Kristi Noem posted a video testimonial that may have been an "undisclosed advertisement"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hur defends description of Biden's 'poor memory'
speed read Former special counsel Robert Hur defended disparaging remarks made about Biden's age in his report
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Pentagon's surprise $300M for Ukraine
speed read The Pentagon is giving $300 million worth of military aid to Ukraine, mostly for ammunition
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump clinch nominations
speed read The current and former president have each secured enough delegates for an election rematch
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'TikTok is a national-security threat'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published