Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Condemns Attempt By Trump Advisors To Gain Russian Support For Presidential Campaign As “Unprecedented In American History”
“Veterans of Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns have come forth to say that if they were approached by a foreign source promising information on an opponent, they would have contacted the FBI. When the Trump campaign’s senior leadership was offered information from the Kremlin as part of an effort to help the campaign, they met with someone they believed to be a Russian government agent."
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi released the following statement in response to the revelation that Donald J. Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort met with Mr. Trump's friend Rob Goldstone and Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Kremlin-linked lawyer, under the auspices of Ms. Veselnitskaya's providing damaging material from Russia on Hillary Clinton:
"Donald Trump Jr. has admitted and documented that he, Jared Kushner, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer with the understanding that she was a Russian government lawyer providing damaging information on Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow's effort to help President Trump's campaign. The attempt by these top Trump advisors - to solicit the support of a hostile foreign power to win the American presidency - is unprecedented in our history.
Veterans of Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns have come forth to say that if they were approached by a foreign source promising information on an opponent, they would have contacted the FBI. When the Trump campaign's senior leadership was offered information from the Kremlin as part of an effort to help the campaign, they met with someone they believed to be a Russian government agent.
The need for Special Counsel Mueller's investigation and our Congressional inquiries to continue has never been more clear. I have no doubts as to the Special Counsel and his team's readiness to do its part in fully pursuing all criminal investigations related to these revelations but Congress must fulfill its responsibility. Pending any investigation, no one who participated in the Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya should have access to any classified information, especially material relevant to our national security.
Furthermore, all those who participated in the Trump Tower meeting must testify under oath before Congress. Mr. Trump, Mr. Manafort, Mr. Kushner, Mr. Goldstone, and Ms. Veselnitskaya must disclose to Congress the nature and details of their conversations, including any sources in the Kremlin."