According to documents released by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in May, the president’s eldest son spoke to an unknown person with a blocked phone number twice on June 6. Trump Jr. placed those calls -- which lasted 11 minutes and four minutes, respectively -- as he coordinated logistics for the meeting with a conduit to the Russians.
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On June 9, two hours after the meeting concluded, Trump Jr. placed another call to a blocked number, which lasted three minutes.
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The calls to blocked numbers, which came on June 6, and after the meeting on June 9, were between Trump Jr.’s cell phone and two family friends -- NASCAR CEO Brian France and real estate developer Howard Lorber, according to the sources.
Both men have close ties to President Donald Trump and actively supported his campaign during the 2016 election.
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Trump’s ties with Lorber [...] have attracted the interest of congressional investigators, sources said. In the 1990s, when Trump started exploring real estate options in Russia, Lorber accompanied him on a tour of Moscow. A real estate developer who has done business there, Lorber appeared in a biographical video of Trump that aired on jumbotrons at the 2016 Republican National Convention before his acceptance speech.
A spokesperson for Lorber said the real estate executive “does not recall having conversations with Donald Jr. in the summer of 2016, but in any event he has absolutely not had conversations with Donald Jr. about any Russian matters.”
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Lorber and the president have long been friends. The two have golfed together, and Lorber made a guest appearance on an episode of “The Apprentice.”
Lorber donated $100,000 to Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee for Trump and the RNC, and served as an economic adviser on the campaign.
Since Trump’s election, Lorber has remained a close ally outside the West Wing. In August 2018, he hosted a fundraiser for Trump Victory at his Long Island mansion.
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