Russian lawyer ‘ready’ to testify over Trump Jr. meeting

MOSCOW, Russia: The Russian lawyer at the heart of the scandal over a meeting with US President Donald Trump’s eldest son claimed Wednesday she is ready to testify to the US Congress.

Lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya attended a meeting with Donald Trump Jr. during the election campaign in June 2016 at which it appears he expected to get incriminating information from the Russian government on his father’s rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr. had been told by e-mail that a “Russian government attorney” would provide damaging details. Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and son-in-law Jared Kushner also attended.

Veselnitskaya has rejected claims she was working on behalf of the Russian government, while Trump Jr. insists that no sensitive information was passed on. In an interview with the Kremlin-controlled RT television channel, Veselnitskaya said she was “ready” to speak to the US Congress about the meeting “if my security can be assured.”

The firestorm around the meeting is the latest chapter in the scandal over possible ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

US intelligence agencies have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of approving a hacking and influence campaign to sway the November 2016 vote, allegations rejected by the Kremlin.

Trump’s administration is currently under investigation by both Congress and the FBI over any possible collusion.