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Russian-American lobbyist says he was in Donald Trump jnr's meeting

Donald Trump jnr posted a series of email messages to Twitter showing him eagerly accepting help from what was described to him as a Russian government effort to aid his father's campaign with damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Picture by Richard Drew, Associated Press
Donald Trump jnr posted a series of email messages to Twitter showing him eagerly accepting help from what was described to him as a Russian government effort to aid his father's campaign with damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Picture by Ric Donald Trump jnr posted a series of email messages to Twitter showing him eagerly accepting help from what was described to him as a Russian government effort to aid his father's campaign with damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Picture by Richard Drew, Associated Press

A Russian-American lobbyist has said he attended a meeting with Donald Trump's son that was billed as part of an effort by Moscow to help the Republican presidential campaign.

Rinat Akhmetshin confirmed his participation to the Associated Press on Friday, marking another shift in accounts of the meeting in June last year.

Donald Trump Jr did not disclose Mr Akhmetshin's presence in statements and emails he released on the meeting earlier this week.

Emails posted by Mr Trump Jr show that he was told by an associate that the meeting was part of a Russian government effort to help his father in the election.

The associate who helped arrange the meeting told Mr Trump Jr that a lawyer had damaging information about Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Jared Kushner, Mr Trump's son-in-law and current White House senior adviser, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting.