Trump Jr Cites Attorney-Client Privilege to Keep Mum on Talks With Dad

Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday declined to tell the House Intelligence Committee what he said to his father, President Donald Trump, after news outlets reported this summer on his presence at a meeting with Russians at Trump Tower.

According to Rep. Adam Schiff, the committee's ranking Democrat, Trump Jr. cited attorney-client privilege, which is intended to allow a client to speak to an attorney without the lawyer being forced to testify what was discussed.

But neither the president nor his eldest son are lawyers. Schiff said Trump Jr.'s reasoning for invoking the privilege was the fact attorneys were present at the meeting.

Schiff was not buying that.

"I don't believe you can shield communications between individuals merely by having an attorney present," Schiff said, according to Politico. "That's not the purpose of attorney-client privilege."

During his eight hours of testimony, Trump Jr. also told the committee he initially talked to White House staffer Hope Hicks, and not his father about the meeting.

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