Attorney-Client Privilege: White House Says Trump Jr.'s Testimony Was Legit

Donald Trump Jr. spent nearly eight hours testifying in a closed session before members of the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. The US president's son told the committee that he did not have direct conversations with his father about news reports revealing controversial details of his June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Meantime, the White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a press briefing on Thursday that Trump Jr. had legitimate reasons for citing attorney-client privilege and refusing to answer certain questions about conversations with the president during testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.

"We believe that his lawyers had a legitimate reason and basis for not answering those questions, but that’s something I would direct you to his attorneys to address more fully," Sanders told reporters on Thursday.

The committee's ranking member Adam Schiff said on Wednesday that Trump Jr. cited "attorney-client privilege" to avoid answering questions about his conversations with his father about a January 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. Trump Jr. said an attorney was in the room at the time he spoke with his father.

"I don’t believe you can shield communications between individuals merely by having an attorney present. That’s not the purpose of attorney-client privilege," Schiff told reporters on Wednesday.

Trump Jr. spent nearly eight hours testifying in a closed session before members of the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.

Trump Jr. said during the hearing that he spoke to staffer Hope Hicks, who is now serving as White House communications director, about the appropriate response to the reports, CNN reported on Wednesday.