Trump Jr lied during testimony over whether his father's inauguration committee misused charitable funds: report

A sworn deposition given by Donald Trump Jr. on February 11 contained some inaccuracies, according to a new report from Mother Jones.

Trump Jr. was testifying in regards to a lawsuit that was filed last year against Donald Trump's inauguration committee and the Trump Organization by Karl Racine, the attorney general of Washington, D.C., claiming that the inauguration committee used charitable funds to enrich the Trump family.

Racine alleged that "the Inaugural Committee, a nonprofit corporation, coordinated with the Trump family to grossly overpay for event space in the Trump International Hotel. Although the Inaugural Committee was aware that it was paying far above market rates, it never considered less expensive alternatives, and even paid for space on days when it did not hold events. The Committee also improperly used non-profit funds to throw a private party [at the Trump Hotel] for the Trump family costing several hundred thousand dollars."

As Mother Jones points out, Trump Jr. frequently replied, "I don't recall" during the deposition and in several exchanges made statements that are contradicted by documents or the recollections of others.

Trump Jr. was asked about Winston Wolkoff, who had raised concerns with then-president-elect Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, and former Inaugural Committee Chair Rick Gates about the prices the Trump Hotel was charging the inauguration committee for events to be held there.

"Do you know her?" Trump Jr. was asked.

"I know of her," he replied. "I think I've met her, but I don't know her. If she was in this room I'm not sure I would recognize her." He added, "I had no involvement with her."

"...documents obtained by Mother Jones shows there's evidence that Trump Jr.'s claim of having 'no involvement' with Winston Wolkoff was false," writes Mother Jones' David Corn. "On January 17, 2017, an assistant for Ivanka Trump texted Winston Wolkoff and said that Trump Jr. wanted to speak to her, providing Winston Wolkoff with his cell number."