Remember what Donald Trump Jr. said when he was told that some Russians with dirt on Hillary Clinton might be interested in meeting with him during the 2016 campaign? He quickly responded to the offer made to him via email with this excited reply:
“If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.”
But it’s a safe bet that Junior isn’t going to love the next phase of his life; it’s going to take place in prison.
Now we know that not only did Don Jr. meeting with Russian agents in 2016, he also had contact with government representatives from Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
But when Junior testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee last September, he lied about attending any meetings other than the one with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, telling the committee:
Q: We’ve talked a lot about Russia. So I have some broader questions about other foreign governments. Did other foreign governments offer or provide assistance to the Trump campaign?
TRUMP JR: None that I’m aware of.
Q: Did other foreign nationals offer or provide assistance to the Trump Campaign?
TRUMP JR: No.
Before you think that perhaps Don Jr. wasn’t under oath and therefore could lie all he wanted, keep in mind that at the beginning of the hearing this exchange took place:
Q: You should understand that, although the interview is not under oath, by law you are required to answer questions from Congress truthfully. Do you understand that?
TRUMP JR: I do.
So even though Junior never swore an oath, under the law lying to Congress is still a crime, and it’s one of many that will be cited on the indictment Special Counsel Robert Mueller is about to hand down.
When the indictment comes down, Don Jr. will have one of two choices: Accept a plea deal and agree to testify against others — including his father — or prepare for the long sentence he’ll be given by a federal judge.
Oh, and if you were thinking that Junior will just get a full pardon from his daddy, that too has a catch: New York state is also investigating the entire Russiagate matter, so President Trump’s namesake can prepare himself for a long stay at a prison in New York, which would likely be a harder road to travel than decades at Club Fed.
Whether he winds up in the federal or state prison system, Donald Trump Jr. is indeed toast. How loyal will he be to his old man if facing 30 years behind bars? We’ll just have to wait and see.