A Former White House lawyer has said Donald Trump could face legal repercussions for helping his son write a statement responding to revelations of a Trump Campaign meeting with a Russian lawyer ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Richard Painter, the former chief White House ethics lawyer, said Mr Trump’s intervention, revealed over the weekend, meant the President could face legal charges including obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

When news of Donald Trump Jr’s meeting with the Russian lawyer was reported last month, the President reportedly dismissed the advice of his advisers, who wished to put out a comprehensive statement about what had happened at the meeting.

According to The Washington Post, Mr Trump instead “personally dictated” a statement in which Mr Trump Jr said that in the meeting with the Russian lawyer, they had “primarily discussed a programme about the adoption of Russian children”.

But Mr Trump Jr released emails two days after the revelations, showing he had been keen to meet the Russian lawyer after learning that she may have compromising information about Hillary Clinton, and was acting on behalf of the Russian government who supported his father’s presidential bid.

In response to the offer of damaging information about Ms Clinton, the emails show Mr Trump Jr replied: “I love it.”

The White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this week Mr Trump “certainly didn’t dictate” his son’s statement in the wake of the revelations.

“The President weighed in as any father would, based on the limited information he had,” she said.

This is refuted by sources close to the President, which the Washington Post based its article on.

Speaking to US website Salon, Mr Painter said if the President did draft the response statement for his son, it could trigger criminal charges. He said: “The biggest exposure is obstruction of justice.

“He is already in hot water for that because of the [former FBI director James] Comey firing and his admission that it was about Russia.”

“A misleading statement, even a lie, told to the press or to the public is not itself a crime,” Mr Painter said. “But he must have known that his son and others would be called to give evidence in the criminal proceedings. Once he drafts a public statement that he knows is false, he is boxing them in when they talk to [special prosecutor Robert] Mueller, testify before Congress and at trial, or at least he is attempting to do so. That is obstruction of justice, witness tampering.”

Speaking to the Washington Post, one of the President Trump’s advisers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said of Mr Trump dictating a statement for his son: “This was … unnecessary.”

“Now someone can claim he’s the one who attempted to mislead. Somebody can argue the President is saying he doesn’t want you to say the whole truth.”

Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images

In addition, David Sklansky, a professor of criminal law at Stanford Law School, told Reuters a misleading public statement could later be used as evidence of corrupt intent.

He said: “Lying usually isn't a crime… but it could be relevant in determining whether something else the President did, like firing Comey, was done corruptly.”