The FBI has reportedly obtained wiretaps obtained by Spanish police of a Vladimir Putin ally who met with Donald Trump Jr. at a National Rifle Association convention in 2016.
On Friday, Yahoo News reported that Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s Central Bank, was subject of a foreign wiretap and those tapes have been handed over to the federal authorities.
José Grinda, who investigates organized crime in Spain told Yahoo News that, “Just a few months ago, the wiretaps of these telephone conversations were given to the FBI.”
Grinda was also asked specifically about Trump Jr.’s connection with Torshin.
The seasoned organized crimes investigator replied, “Mr. Trump’s son should be concerned.”
Speaking to Michael Isikoff, Yahoo’s Chief Investigative Reporter Friday night, MSNBC host Joy Reed asked if Trump Jr’s voice may have been on the tapes turned over to the feds.
“No. No. I don’t want to create any confusion about that,” Isikoff replied, making it clear the tapes were from 2013, not the NRA convention, and thus were not even from the same year.
He went on to say that the connection between Trump Jr. and Torshin remains significant, however, particularly since Trump Jr. met with Torshin during the campaign, something that may prove a liability for Trump’s son given what is likely to be revealed about Torshin.
“This is the first hard indication that the FBI is investigating matters relating to Torshin,” Yahoo’s reporter said. “There have been suspicions for quite some time about his ties to the NRA and the massive amounts of money the NRA spent during the 2016 election. Torshin had made multiple contacts through intermediaries with members of the Trump campaign or people close to the Trump campaign. There’s multiple e-mails to that effect.”
He concluded that this would appear to be “an effort by the FBI to track all the Russian efforts to penetrate the Trump organization, the Trump campaign, in 2016. And certainly, the overtures of Mr. Torshin would be front and center in that,” likely also shining a spotlight on Trump Jr’s NRA meeting.
