he doesn't know the contents of the folder beyond what natalya told him. can i take a step back here? to some extent this is all sort of fascinating little details about who was at the meeting. but there is one key witness here who the versions you would think would be focused on. that's rob goldstone. he's the author of the e-mails. he's the one who said the russian government was wanted to impart this information to help the trump campaign. he's the one who said they were helping him do so. he's the one that works for them. he's the publicist for emen. it seems to me he is the obviously crucial witness one has to determine to make sense of this meeting. what was his basis for what he wrote in those e-mails? what did he really know and what information did he have? until we get the answers to that, i think we're all in the world of speculation. >> well, yes, and there have been all sorts -- we done know there was an e-mail in the first place. then when we found out what was in the e-mail, a lot of people were surprised how explicit that was. ken delaney,

. >> we are learning the name of the attorney, natalya vesanelskaya, founded a group purporting to adoption ban. it's important to know why this program was ended and the russians put the ban in place years ago as a retaliation for an american law passed in 2012, also mentioned by mr. trump, junior, known as the magnitsky act and oligarchs thought to have violated human rights and the lawyer has sought the repeal of that magnitsky act and we haven't been able to reach here, but she did tell "the new york times" she was not asking on behalf of the russian government and never discussed these matters with any representatives, but she is known as someone who tried to work to repeal this u.s. legislation damaging to russian officials and the adoption ban. so you have again, a russian national thinking to reach out to the trump campaign before he was even in the white house. why that's something we still don't know. >> shimon, we know there are multiple investigations,a the least a handful in congress both in the house and the senate investigating the russia meddling in the election and then we

. >> trump and kushner and manafort met with natalya said to have ties with russia's governor. >> trevorthree met with a kremlin-linked russian lawyer to get dirt on hillary clinton. at this point, it would be easier if the trump people would tell us which russians they haven't met. with i don't think even russia people hang out with these many russians. i have friends of all nash narcotics it's called diversity, bro. ever hear of it, of course not (russian accent). ( laughter ) if you're looking for evidence of collusion between temperature and russia, this seems like thee smoking gun but junior has a different take. >> i'll read you a statement from donald trump, jr., "i was asked to have a meeting by an acquaintance who i was told might have meaningful information about the campaign. i was told she had no information and she changed subjects and discussed the adoption of russian children and mentioned the magnitsky act. it became clear these questions were the pretext for the meeting. >> trevor: baby you don't understand i only met with the other woman because she wants to (bleep). tu

throughout the hearing and was pretty much a central figure in the testimony of the russian lawyers name natalya vessel and it's going to so. then it will this guy. and tom. bissell lynette's guy and i just go and tell you i tried it over lindsey graham's pronunciation they're now in his testimony bill browder described her as an agent of the russian government saying that she worked with the security services had all kinds of connections almost as if she were working directly for president vladimir putin himself now what did she say in response to mr browder while she never had a chance to respond she hasn't gotten to testify now speaking to r t she says she is perfect. willing to go before the committee and present her side of the story she says she has no connection to russian authorities or the russian government security services or anything like that she is simply a lawyer doing her job this is what she had to say when speaking directly to us here at r.t. yes the very as a person who talks about in his statements i'm also ready to testify and prove to anyone in the united states or any oth

. >> it turns out there wasn't just the russian lawyer natalya veselnitskaya that was at the meeting, also there was this ak met shin who was not trained as a spy. days after the trump tower meeting the russian lawyer turned up at a congressional hearing about russia. her front-row seat reserved for her by a republican consultant with close ties to the trump campaign. trump's florida campaign chair while some of president trump's supporters turned out at his golf course with a message for the press. >> it's all just anti-trump propaganda that isn't even true. we believe that, okay? so his supporters believe him, not you. >> elizabeth hurr, abc news, new york. >>> the discussion on the russia investigation continues on this week with george stephanopoulos. jay circulo and adam schiff will explain what's next for the trump administration on abc 7. >> senate majority leader mitch mcconnell will delay a vote on the republican health care reform bill. the senate leader had planned action on a controversial bill this week, but senator john mccain won't be around to vote following surgery in

so this lawyer, natalya vesselnaskyia was trying to end russian adoptions and also known as someone in russia trying to get this legislation lifted. now, donald trump jr. said that the issue wasn't a campaign issue, and so the russian adoption thing, and it was never really followed up. the question is, why was paul manafort, the campaign manager, and jared kushner in the meeting? >> and what's the reply, if any, coming from the administration? >> well, you know, the chairman -- chief of staff, reince priebus, the president's chief of staff, downplayed it. take a listen. >> why would donald trump jr., jared kushner and campaign manager manafort want to meet about russian adoption? >> listen, i have no idea, chris. you have to talk to them. however, talking about issues of foreign policy issues related to our place in the world, issues important to the american people like adoption is something that's not unusual. >> not unusual, fred, but the question is, goes back to, everything about why the trump campaign, why after the transition they were so interested in meeting with russian offi

donald trump jr., then campaign chair paul manafort, jared kushner as well as this russian lawyer, natalya veselnitskaya. all of those ind iications came from donald trump jr. himself who's story fluctuated. saturday night he issued the first statement saying he met with this person lrgly to discuss russian adoption. interesting to know in that statement he referred to it at "the person" indicating only one person. then, of course, we heard from him clay firifying in a stateme sunday he did meet with a russian lawyer. he said he was promised some dirt on hillary clinton. he said he didn't end up getting that dirt, getting that information. instead, the conversation shifted again to russian adoptions, but, of course, there were two different statements, but then donald trump jr. tried to put 0 point on it, going on that interview tuesday night with conservative host john hannity. take a listen. >> as far as you know as far as this incident is concerned this is all of it? >> this is everything. this is everything. >> so now indication that anyone else was present at that meeting. of course,

contacts, as well as all of his foreign contacts and it was on those forms that he disclosed that natalyawere and we started digging and digging. >> do you think there could be revisions or other meetings we don't know of right now? >> i think they have submitteded what they think is all of the context. it's important because, of course, jared kushner is in a unique position here. he's at the white house. he has to have security clearance, so failure to disclose, willfully admitting something is a legal problem that actually can land you in jail. >> the president has called this the greatest political witch hunt in history. what are you all looking for at "the new york times". >> we're looking to report the news every day. >> i understand. >> nobody has said this is fake news. he said -- donald trump jr. said he would do things differently, and i myself have done a lot of reporting on hillary clinton, and i did a story on her the uranium 1 deal that republicans love to talk about so this is not a witch hunt. >> when you look at the cast of character, you have a russian pop star and his da

political violence came in the form of a massive campaign that the russian government via the lawyer-natalya vesilnitskaya launched here in washington. she organized individuals to come here in washington and lobby, basically tell the story -- a false story that magnitsky was not murdered, and he wasn't a whistleblower, so that they could have the magnitsky act repealed. she engaged with chris cooper from potomac strategies, ron dellums and a number of other people with the purpose of withdrawing the magnitsky act and withdrawing magnitsky chekov name from the acts. in addition to it being effectively a campaign to effectively cover up a murder, it was also -- >> can you say the year that she came into this? >> the question is, you can still finish her statement, that now, -- >> yes, thank you. >> we not going to stop you. >> when the lawyer came to this country, what year was that? >> i believe she came here in 2014. >> continue. >> sorry that i went over, i am just about done. browder: in addition to these -- this being morally reprehensible, none of these people registered as foreign agen

the person was described as a friend of emin's and neighbor a friend of natalya.lawyer in that meeting, peter sost says he is a u.s. citizen, he told me specifically he was not working for the russian government and in fact laughed when i asked him that question. he confirms for the purpose of security or otherwise, the names that were reviewed, but says trump's background, when asked about concerns, futerfas responded, i have absolutely no concerns about what he said in that meeting. to be clear, willie, we're hearing from them right now trying to get more details. we will keep you posted. back to you. >> i wanted to jump in here, even as you are reading that statement. we have an update from allen fuferfas. you read the statement. he now called us back at nbc news with a claire identification. he now says there was a third person in that room, in additio manafor the and the attorney and futerfas says he spoke with that other individual, the sixth person and not the soviet former soviet counterintelligence officer we have been talking about. so his description, w