Speculation is rampant over the mysterious fifth person who attended the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016, confirmation linking that it was Rinat Akhmetshin, a former Soviet counter intelligence officer.
A controversial meeting at Trump Tower in 2016 billed as a handover of dirt on Hillary Clinton included a veteran of the Soviet military who has worked as a political “gun-for-hire” in Washington on behalf of Russian clients.
The meeting was arranged by Donald Trump Jr., the President’s son. E-mails released on Tuesday show that the younger Mr. Trump had welcomed the chance to receive information described as “ultra-sensitive” and part of a Russian government effort to help his father’s presidential candidacy.
The presence of Rinat Akhmetshin, the political operative, sheds new light on the meeting, which was not public knowledge until earlier this month. The encounter represents the first evidence that Mr. Trump’s team was open to receiving Russian help and is sure to be scrutinized by the special counsel investigating possible collusion between the campaign and the Kremlin.