Lawyers: Donald Trump Jr. Is Getting Terrible Legal Advice
When the paper followed up that first report with another item indicating he agreed to the meeting in hopes of getting information the campaign could use against Hillary Clinton, Don. Jr. did something very, very strange: He himself confirmed all the New York Times’ reporting and gave them additional details about the meeting.
“After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Mrs. Clinton,” Trump told the paper. “Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information.”
Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, told The Daily Beast that Don Jr.’s comment wasn’t very smart.
“He’s stupid for saying what he said about why he took the meeting,” said Mariotti, who now does criminal defense work at Thompson Coburn.
“It’s very hard for me to believe that any lawyer would advise him to make a public statement containing factual assertions about what happened in a meeting with an agent of the Russian government,” he added. “What’s more likely is that Donald Trump Jr. spoke without consulting legal counsel.”
It was also deeply unwise for him to speak for himself, according to Scott Greenfield, a New York criminal defense attorney. Lawyers usually speak for their clients in these situations to keep them from saying something that could hurt them in court. That’s why Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn are keeping mum about the Russia probe: They have good lawyers and appear to be following their advice. Not so, at least over the weekend, for Don Jr.
Mariotti said Don Jr.’s one-man legal team—comprised of New York attorney Alan Futerfas, according to Reuters—is also curious. Futerfas has extensive criminal defense in New York, including on Securities and Exchange Commission investigations, but isn’t admitted to the D.C. bar, and helms a tiny three-lawyer practice.