Dem Sen Blumenthal: Trump Jr.’s Conduct ‘Potentially a Violation of the Espionage Act’ or Treason

On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) stated Donald Trump Jr. potentially violated the Espionage Act or committed treason.

Blumenthal said, “[T]hese emails are a textbook example and evidence of criminal intent. I can almost hear the closing argument to the jury using ‘I love it,’ repeating again and again, ‘I love it.’ Those three words are going to haunt Donald Trump Jr. Because they are a clear signal that he is looking for information, dirt, on Hillary Clinton from the Russian government, and expecting an agent of the Russian government to be providing it to him, and having the meeting, showing, and again signaling, the Trump campaign is open for business. We will accept information, no matter how it is obtained, legally or illegally. And that is potentially a violation of the Espionage Act, yes, treason, and it is also potentially a violation of the prohibitions of defrauding the government through conspiracy, against cyber-fraud and abuse. There are a slew of statutes that may have been violated here. But the bottom line is, that we are beginning to understand why Donald Trump, the president may have been so eager to fire Jim Comey if he felt that his own son was at risk. And we should begin looking for alarm lights flashing about possibly firing Bob Mueller. Because clearly, this investigation is coming closer and closer…to the president of the United States.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett