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Trump Jr releases 'full email chain' on Russia meeting

Washington - President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., has released an email chain that shows him discussing plans to hear damaging information on Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr. posted his emails with music publicist Rob Goldstone on Twitter on Tuesday. The emails with Goldstone show that Trump Jr. was told that the Russian government had information that could "incriminate" Clinton and her dealings with Russia.

In a statement on Tuesday, Trump's eldest son said he was posting the emails "in order to be totally transparent".

The Trump Organization confirmed the authenticity of the posts.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told CNN on Tuesday that his committee, which is investigating possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia, would summon the meeting participants "to get to the bottom of it".

The New York Times reported late on Monday that Trump Jr. was told ahead of time that the source of the information was the Russian government. Schiff said the report, if true, represented "an offer by the Russian government to help interfere in the American election on behalf of one of the candidates" and the first time "the inner circle of the Trump family ... have direct contact with the Russians promising" information on Clinton.

In a statement, Trump Jr.'s New York-based attorney Alan Futerfas called the Times report "much ado about nothing".

A Russian lawyer told NBC's "Today" show that she was summoned to Trump Tower during the 2016's presidential campaign to meet with Trump Jr. and asked if she had information on the Clinton campaign. 

The lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, told NBC she received a phone call from a man she didn't know and was told to meet with the Trump campaign. She says she didn't have information on the Clinton campaign and has never worked for the Russian government.

NBC's "Today" and MSNBC aired an interview of the lawyer on Tuesday. It's her first public comment since Trump Jr. acknowledged that he made time for the meeting hoping to get information on Clinton, his father's Democratic presidential opponent.

Veselnitskaya says Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, attended the meeting but left after a few minutes. Paul Manafort, then Trump's campaign chairman, also attended but never participated and spent much of the meeting on his phone. It wasn't clear from the NBC report who in the meeting asked her for information.

On Clinton, she says through a translator: "It's quite possible they were looking for information. They wanted it so badly."

The man who organised a meeting between Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer during the presidential campaign says it occurred at the behest of a Moscow-based singer with family ties to Trump's businesses.

Trump Jr. acknowledges he made time for the meeting, organised by Goldstone, hoping to get information about Clinton.

Goldstone confirmed on Monday that he had set up the meeting on behalf of his client, but did not disclose the contents of the email.

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