Ike Kaveladze: Eighth person to attend Trump Jr meeting revealed as Russian real estate company employee
The meeting has reignited allegations of Trump campaign collusion with Russia
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Your support makes all the difference.The eighth person in a controversial meeting between Donald Trump’s son and a Russian lawyer has been identified as Ike Kaveladze, an American-based employee of a Russian real estate company.
Mr Kaveladze was identified by an attorney for Emin and Aras Agalarov, the two Russian developers who instigated the meeting. The attorney said Mr Kaveladze is employed by the Agalarovs, and attended the meeting as their representative.
News of the meeting set off a firestorm of criticism this month, when The New York Times reported that Donald Trump Jr had agreed to an audience with Kremlin-connected lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June of 2016. Mr Trump Jr initially claimed that the meeting was convened to discuss US-Russia adoption policies, but later revealed it was motivated by promises of incriminating information on Hillary Clinton.
Mr Balber said he revealed the identity of the eighth participant after receiving a call from a representative of special counsel Robert Mueller – the first indication that the Justice Department is looking into the meeting.
Mr Kaveladze, the attorney said, is an American citizen who has lived in the US for many years. He works as a vice president of the Agalarov's company, the Crocus Group, focusing on real estate and finance.
The businessman “was asked to attend the meeting purely to … make sure it happened,” Mr Balber said. “He literally had no idea what the meeting was about until he showed up right before.”
Mr Balber said he believes the full list of participants, which the White House has declined to reveal, is now known.
Emails released by Mr Trump Jr last week revel other participants as former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and top presidential adviser Jared Kushner.
The news of Mr Kushner's participation has fuelled calls for his security clearance to be revoked. Mr Kushner has claimed he did not read to the bottom of the email thread, which promised “official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia” as part of "Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump”.
The meeting was also attended by Rob Goldstone, a business contact of both the Agalarovs and Mr Trump, and former State Department employee Anatoli Samochornov, who acted as a translator.
Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian-American lobbyist and Soviet military veteran, also admitted to attending. Mr Akhmestshin's presence was touted by Mr Trump's detractors as clear evidence of cooperation between the Trump campaign and Russian government interests.
Mr Trump has maintained that the meeting was brief, and that no meaningful information on Ms Clinton was exchanged. Mr Balber said the Agalarovs are "baffled" by the importance the meeting has taken on.
Mr Kaveladze, he added, is equally perplexed.
"Nobody had any expectation this would be what it’s become," Mr Balber said, "especially this poor guy, who had not been involved before."
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