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Murphy Tweets 'Oh My' As Esty Calls Trump Jr.-Russian Story 'Troubling'

Connecticut Democrats are troubled by the release of emails proving that an associate told Donald J. Trump Jr. that the Russian government had information that could "incriminate" Hillary Clinton in the months leading up to the Nov. 8 election. 

Donald Trump, Jr.

Donald Trump, Jr.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Trump Jr. posted the email exchange with publicist Rob Goldstone on Twitter after being told by The New York Times that it was about to publish them. You can view the email exchange by clicking here.

“What we know is that we only know a portion of this story," U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in an interview on MSNBC. "You have to assume at this point that there was a consistent and perhaps vast series of contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. You have to assume that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg given the fact that this information only comes out when news sources discover it, not when members of the Trump administration are asked.

“This is a White House that has openly lied to the American people about their contacts with the Russians over and over again. And seem to be doing so with impunity. And that breach of trust cascades over the rest of us, right? People lose faith in government at every level when they have their top elected leader and his top people lying at this kind of dizzying rate.”

Earlier in the day, Murphy‏ kept his comments much simpler on Twitter: 

  • What matters this week?
  • 1. GOP health care bill
  • 2. GOP health care bill
  • 3. GOP health care bill
  • 4. Russia/Trump Jr. story
A few hours later,  after the Trump Jr. emails were released, Murphy Tweeted: "Oh my. I'm moving Russia/Trump Jr. up a notch."

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-5th District) called the revelations "extremely troubling." 

"In fact, the emails released today are shocking to the extent that they indicate not only a willingness, but an eagerness on behalf of the President's closest political advisers to engage with the Russian government to acquire politically damaging information on their then-opponent. That the emails led in a matter of days to a meeting between the President's closest political advisors and a Russian attorney whom the President's son Donald Jr. had been told was a 'Russian government official' with information that 'would incriminate Hillary and be very useful to your father' adds to the depth of my concern," Esty said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon.

“These recent revelations make clearer than ever that we need a vigorous nonpartisan, independent investigation to look into these matters. It is the only way to assure public confidence in the integrity of this investigation into foreign efforts to influence our election.

“Russia’s interference in the electoral process is a threat to American democracy. By deliberately undermining the credibility of our free press, as well as purposefully misleading voters with dishonest information, Russia has wronged the American people. The American people deserve to know to the fullest extent Russia’s activities in our electoral process, and who from within the United States may have enabled this to happen. And we must take steps to protect ourselves in the future from such interference in our elections by a hostile foreign power."

Goldstone, an intermediary who worked to set up a meeting with Trump Jr., then-campaign manager Paul Manafort and adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, , according to The New York Times.

The information Goldstone promised in the June 2, 2016, email would "incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

After Trump Jr. wrote back, saying "I love it," Goldstone set up the meeting with the Russian lawyer, Kremlin-connected Natalia Veselnitskaya, that was held June 9, 2016.

By having the meeting, Trump Jr. may have violated federal campaign laws for solicitation, the Times said.

Click here to read the New York Times report.

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