Russian lawyer who met Trump Jr. charged in unrelated case

The Russian lawyer who attended the Trump Tower meeting that is a focus of the special counsel's investigation into possible collusion was charged with obstructing an unrelated tax-fraud case, federal prosecutors in New York has said.

Natalya Veselnitskaya was indicted on one count of obstruction of justice after prosecutors said she teamed up with a senior Russian prosecutor and submitted deceptive declarations in a civil proceeding involving a Russian tax refund fraud scheme.

The indictment, which is unrelated to Russian election interference and brought by the Manhattan US attorney, illustrates Veselnitskaya's close ties to the Russian government, which she has denied.

It renews questions about the circumstances of the 2016 Trump Tower meeting, which also was attended by Donald Trump Jr. and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Trump Jr. has acknowledged that he met with Veselnitskaya because he had been told she could offer damaging information about Democrat Hillary Clinton from the Russian government. But Trump Jr. and Kushner said the meeting amounted to nothing and mostly involved Russia's ban on American adoptions in response to US sanctions.

Veselnitskaya has previously denied acting on behalf of Russian officials when she met with the Trump team, telling Congress she operates "independently of any government bodies."
James Margolin, a spokesman for the Manhattan US attorney's office, said Veselnitskaya's criminal case did not originate from a referral by Mueller, noting the allegations relate only to her work for the Russian company and "are unrelated to any other investigation."
The criminal case relates to real estate firm Prevezon Holdings Ltd. and its role in an alleged $230 million tax-fraud scheme that federal officials say was "perpetrated by a criminal organization that included in its ranks corrupt Russian officials."