Trump Jr. has closed-door meeting with Senate Intel panel

Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday met with the Senate Intelligence Committee for a closed-door interview that lasted just over nine hours. 

The committee is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as well as possible collusion between Moscow and Trump campaign officials. 

The president’s eldest son became a central figure in the various probes of Russian meddling —including the federal probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller — in part because of his participation in a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer who he believed had incriminating information on then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

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Trump Jr.’s evolving explanations for meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya have fueled further scrutiny from panels investigating the matter.

He initially claimed that the two discussed the adoption of Russian babies and nothing campaign-related. It was later revealed through emails that Trump Jr. was meeting the lawyer for dirt on Clinton.

The Washington Post in July reported that President Trump had played a role in crafting the initial, misleading statement aboard Air Force One.

Months later, Trump Jr. acknowledged in a statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September that he met with Veselnitskaya to discuss the “fitness” of Clinton as a presidential candidate.

Trump Jr.’s appearance before the intelligence panel is his third interview on Capitol Hill, coming just one week after he voluntarily met with the House Intelligence Committee and similarly answered lawmakers’ questions about his Russian contacts.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) last week expressed concern after Trump Jr. declined to tell the House panel details about his conversation with his father regarding his meeting with a Russian lawyer, citing client privilege. 

The Democratic lawmaker argued that Trump Jr. cannot apply attorney-client privilege and “shield” lawmakers from his conversation between father and son just because an attorney was present in the room at the time.

Capitol Police attempted to shield reporters and camera crews from witnessing Trump Jr.’s entrance into the secure meeting location, despite several reporters spotting him going inside.

He did not answer reporters’ questions as he exited the meeting.