Eight things Congress wants to know from Donald Trump Jr. about his Russia contacts

Jessica Estepa | USA TODAY

Members of the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday will demand answers from Donald Trump Jr. over his Russian contacts. Much of the questioning will likely center around his now infamous meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Here are seven things Congress may want to know from President Trump's oldest son:

1. Why did you agree to take the meeting?

Earlier this year, Trump Jr. released emails revealing he took a meeting with a Russian lawyer in June 2016 in the hopes of receiving damaging information about Clinton. "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," Trump Jr. said in September. But as more details emerge about the meeting, lawmakers will likely want to know more behind Trump Jr.'s reasoning.

2. Did you ask for dirt on the Clinton Foundation?

The Russian lawyer that they met with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, reportedly told Senate investigators that Trump Jr. asked if she had evidence of illegal donations to the Clinton Foundation. After Veselnitskaya said she didn't, she says Trump Jr. apparently lost interest in the meeting.

3. Did you discuss lifting U.S. sanctions against Russia?

Even if he did lose interest in the meeting, Veselnitskaya has also said that Trump Jr. suggested the U.S. would re-examine sanctions against Russia if his father won the election. When Trump Jr. met with Senate investigators earlier this year, he acknowledged that the meeting included discussions of a Russian ban on Americans adopting Russian children. That ban was the result of sanctions placed on Russia through the Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law that prohibits certain Russian officials from entering the U.S. or using its banking system.

4. Why didn't you contact the FBI or other law enforcement authorities?

Under federal election law, foreign governments are prohibited from giving anything of value to a U.S. campaign. Information about an opponent — as Trump Jr. sought on Clinton — could be considered valuable information.

5. What did you tell Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort about the meeting?

Also present at the meeting were Trump's son-in-law and his then-campaign manager, respectively. Given that Manafort has been charged under special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's interference in the presidential election, and Kushner has also been questioned by authorities, lawmakers will want to know more background on what these aides may have known.

6. What was your father's involvement in drafting your statement about the meeting?

President Trump personally dictated the statement his son released after the meeting was revealed, according to news reports. Lawmakers will want to know whether this happened, how it came about if it did happen and what Trump Jr.'s own involvement was in the statement.

7. Did you meet with Alexander Torshin?

According to news reports, Trump Jr. met with Torshin, who has close ties to the Kremlin, at an event for the National Rifle Association in May 2016. That month, Torshin reportedly tried to arrange a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-candidate Donald Trump. The meeting never happened.

8. What can you tell us about your correspondence with WikiLeaks?

Last month, Trump Jr. shared messages he exchanged with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign. In one exchange, WikiLeaks asked for Trump Jr. to promote a story about Hillary Clinton. The organization promotes transparency by publishing leaked and secret material, and the American intelligence community believes Russians used WikiLeaks to publish hacked information about Clinton and the Democratic National Committee.

Contributing: Erin Kelly