Top intel Dem: Trump Jr. refused to answer questions about discussions with father about Trump Tower

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Hill

Top intel Dem: Trump Jr. refused to answer questions about discussions with father about Trump Tower meeting
BY OLIVIA BEAVERS - 12/06/17 06:59 PM EST

Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday declined to tell the House Intelligence Committee details about his conversation with President Trump regarding his meeting with a Russian lawyer, citing client privilege, according to the committee's top Democrat.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is challenging Trump Jr.'s reasoning, saying Trump Jr. cannot apply attorney-client privilege and "shield" lawmakers from this conversation between father and son just because an attorney was present in the room.

"He acknowledged having discussed the June 9 meeting and the emails that went into establishing that meeting after those emails became public," Schiff said Wednesday following a closed-door meeting with Trump Jr.

"He acknowledged discussing that matter with his father, but refused to answer questions about that discussion along the basis of a attorney-client privilege. In my view there is no attorney-client privilege that protects a discussion between father and son," Schiff continued.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/363646-trump-jr-interviews-with-house-intel-panel

[Judi Lynn]

1. Don Jr. cites attorney-client privilege as reason he wont tell Congress about conversations with

Noor Al-Sibai NOOR AL-SIBAI
06 DEC 2017 AT 19:05 ET



In his more than eight-hour-long testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Donald Trump, Jr. refused to tell investigators what he and his father discussed after the infamous Trump Tower meeting in June 2016.

As CNN reports, Trump Jr. invoked attorney-client privilege because, as he told investigators, lawyers were present.

The report notes that this was the first time the committee asked Trump Jr. about his conversations with his then-candidate father following the meeting.

Earlier in his marathon hearing, Trump Jr. admitted to speaking to senior White House adviser Hope Hicks (and not his father) after reports about the meeting broke in July of this year. He clarified that as he spoke to Hicks, she and the president were aboard Air Force One as Trump Sr. “was debating between a longer and a shorter statement,” sources familiar with today’s hearing told CNN.

More:
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/12/don-jr-cites-attorney-client-privilege-as-reason-he-wont-tel-congress-about-conversations-with-trump/

[BigmanPigman]

12. I want to see that little shit's head

on Mueller's trophy wall or his smug, "I am above the law" face on every dartboard in the country.

[DeminPennswoods]

15. Taking this tact is an answer in itself

By refusing to answer, Jr basically confirmed he did tell his dad about the meeting. It's easy enough to say you didn't do something if you didn't. When you won't say, it's just as easy to know that means, yes I did it.

[democratisphere]

26. What a smug arrogant lying jerk.

He is guilty as hell!

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "attorney-client privilege"

Is he suddenly a lawyer for his father?

He can take the 5th and then we'll know for sure something stinks in that there swamp.

[iluvtennis]

8. Indeed. An asinine excuse. But the GOP leads the committee

[truthisfreedom]

3. This is the Hunter S Thompson approach.

His lawyer was always present and, luckily enough, supplied his drugs.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Donny Diaper is scared shitless. . . . nt

[bluestarone]

5. can he do the same

if Mueller questions him?

[Calista241]

16. Mueller will have to get a court order waiving privilege.

Which is an exceptionally hard thing to do. And even then Jr could assert his 5th amendment rights if he wants and something criminal might’ve taken place.

[leftynyc]

18. Or Mueller can just say to the judge

to decide if such privilege even exists between a father and son (if junior makes that claim to Mueller). I don't believe it does but would love to sit in and hear the arguments. I also think a subpoena should go to junior TODAY from Mueller's team.

[Calista241]

20. Jr said an actual lawyer was in the room during this conversation

That represented the Trump family. Since i doubt they were smuggling cocaine, that lawyer was there to provide legal counsel to his clients. That’s inherently privileged. Mueller can’t break that privilege without being able to PROVE, in a court of law, that criminal activity was taking place. And even then, it’d be a tough case.

And from a legal strategy point of view, Mueller doesn’t want to talk to the Trumps yet. That’s what he’s going to do last, after he’s collected as much info as he can. That way he’ll know what questions to ask, what the answers should be, and knows what he’ll do if he gets an unexpected answer.

[bluestarone]

22. would tRump jr have to show personal

payments made to this lawyer in order to claim lawyer client privilege?

[Calista241]

23. I have no first hand knowledge

But that lawyer probably has a relationship with a foundation or other entity the family does their personal business with. And if Jr. is a member of that foundation, which its inconceivable that he’s not, then the relationship is ironclad.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Mueller will have this suckers Nuts in a vise

shortly. The Money Trail will create a Door Knock on this Sucker and his Brother. Stonewalling will not cut it for Mr Mueller.

Donnie Jr. and his Pappy have ridiculed the Investigators to know end,and appears the Hammer is about to drop.

You do not call FBI agents names without proof. And if you do,Karma prevails. BTW,this whole Crime Family and their Associates have Criticized every Agency in Government,and they are the ones who will bury this Criminal Family and the GOP.

[bluestarone]

9. with this congress we truly have

to depend on Mueller. cause they won't do a dam thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wellstone ruled]

10. Stonewalling and Stalling.

Just a repeat of the Reagan-Contra and Nixon Days.

Think most here expected these Committees to play out the way they are.

All about the destruction of Social Welfare Programs and Corporate Tax Breaks nothing more and nothing less.

[NBachers]

7. WTF? That makes no sense at all. It's like saying "I can't answer that because I'm not from Jupiter"

Put that dumb little shit weasel in prison for contempt of Congress.

[old guy]

11. Just stop these congressional hearings already!

The repubs control them and will never let anything substantive come out. Why bother?

[Panho]

13. What are they hiding?

Collusion.

[DeminPennswoods]

14. There was a recent case in Pennsylvania

involving a cyber charter school founder accused (and convicted) of stealing 8M of tax payer funded charter school payments. He tried to claim atty-client privilege because there was lawyer, who didn't represent him, present for some of the incriminating conversations he had with others in on the scheme. He lost his court case as the court ruled there was no atty-client privilege in that circumstance.

[Calista241]

17. This conversation likely took place with a lawyer that represented the

Trump family (both Trump and Trump Jr.). Waiving privilege in this case will be extraordinarily difficult. They were all in that room to discuss a legal strategy, which is basically what the atty-client statute is designed to cover.

[MGKrebs]

21. Agreed. But I think Trump is unlikely to face criminal charges related to this meeting anyway,

so this is a P.R. issue, and it looks bad that they have to hide the details of that discussion. If/when they approach impeachment discussions, this is another mark on the ledger.

[DeminPennswoods]

24. That's not how it was portrayed

As one of MSNBC's bevy of former US Attys explained, unless Sr and Jr have a joint defense agreement, what you posit doesn't apply.

[Cold War Spook]

19. If Hope Hicks was not acting as an attorney,

I don't know if she is, and he told her anything about the meeting where is the privilege?

[ck4829]

25. Kick