Grand jury subpoenas have been issued in connection with the June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr., a Russian lawyer and others, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — Grand jury subpoenas have been issued in connection with the June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr., a Russian lawyer and others, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

Special counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington to investigate allegations of Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter.

The grand jury began its work in recent weeks and is a sign that Mueller’s inquiry into Russia’s efforts to influence the election and whether it colluded with President Donald Trump’s campaign is ramping up, the Journal said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. </s> A grand jury impaneled by special counsel Robert Mueller in connection with the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has issued subpoenas concerning Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with Kremlin-aligned lawyers during the campaign.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday the panel began its work in recent weeks. Grand juries are seated to assess the validity of an accusation brought by prosecutors in advance of an indictment. Though the primary task of a grand jury is to issue an indictment, they also allow prosecutors to subpoena documents and question witnesses under oath.

Reuters subsequently reported that the grand jury has issued subpoenas concerning Trump Jr.’s June 2016 meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer with Kremlin connections hawking opposition research about former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

It is not clear whether the subpoenas compel the appearance of witnesses, the production of documents, or both.

Trump’s Jr.’s legal counsel did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s inquiries by press time.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact . </s> WASHINGTON (WOWO): Subpoenas for a grand jury have been issued over a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer, as Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating allegations of Russian interference in last year’s Presidential elections.

Reuters reports that a grand jury has also been convened on the allegations of Russian meddling.

Russia has denied such allegations from the beginning. President Trump has also denied such allegations, usually referring to them as a “witch hunt.”

Trump Jr. recently released an email chain between him and someone promising to have information from the Russian government on Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton. He claims he made a meeting, but nothing happened during it. </s> Washington (CNN) Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year's election, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN learned of the subpoenas hours before President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey.

The subpoenas represent the first sign of a significant escalation of activity in the FBI's broader investigation begun last July into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

The subpoenas issued in recent weeks by the US Attorney's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, were received by associates who worked with Flynn on contracts after he was forced out as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014, according to the people familiar with the investigation.

Robert Kelner, an attorney for Flynn, declined to comment. The US Attorney's Office in Alexandria, the Justice Department and the FBI also declined to comment.

Read More </s> U.S. President Donald Trump tried to play down the significance of an investigation into links between the Russians and his election campaign at a rally in West Virginia on Thursday.

It was a message he pitched on the same day it emerged that special counsel Robert Mueller had convened a grand jury to look into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

WATCH: Coverage of Donald Trump and Russia on Globalnews.ca:

At the rally, Trump said called the Russian issue a “totally made up story,” and said Democrats were only talking about it because “they have no message, no agenda and no vision.”

“The Russia story is a total fabrication,” he said. “It’s just an excuse for the greatest loss in the history of American politics. That’s all it is.”

Trump then said that prosecutors should be looking at “Hillary Clinton’s 33,000 deleted emails.”

“Most people know there were no Russians in our campaign,” he said.

Unnamed sources told Reuters on Thursday that a grand jury had issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that took place between Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya.

The subpoenas signalled that an investigation was “gathering pace,” the news agency wrote.

Former prosecutor Paul Callan told Reuters that this was a “serious development in the Mueller investigation.”

READ MORE: Robert Mueller convenes grand jury to investigate Russian meddling in 2016 election

Trump has defended his son’s meeting with a Russian lawyer, saying others would have taken it themselves.

With a grand jury, Mueller may be able to gather evidence by issuing subpoenas and compel witnesses to testify. </s> Special counsel Robert Mueller has convened a grand jury in Washington to investigate allegations of Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, the Wall Street Journal reported

The grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a meeting between Donald Trump Jr and a Russian lawyer in June 2016, according to Reuters.

It began its work in recent weeks and is a ramping up of that Mueller's inquiry into Russia's efforts to influence the election and whether it colluded with Mr Trump's campaign is ramping up,.

A grand jury's deliberations are secret and its existence was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

It consists of lay individuals and it can hand down criminal indictments if convinced to do so by Mr Mueller.

Through a grand jury prosecutors can also have subpoenas issued for documents and put witnesses under oath.

The setting up of a grand jury was a sign that Mr Mueller believes criminal charges could be possible at some point, or at least that he thinks he will have to subpoena records and obtain testimony from witnesses.

Ty Cobb, special counsel to Mr Trump, told the Wall Street Journal he was not aware of the existence of the grand jury. </s> A grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included President Donald Trump's son, his son-in-law and a Russian lawyer, two sources told Reuters on Thursday, signaling an investigation is gathering pace into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

The sources added that U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller had convened the grand jury investigation in Washington to help examine allegations of Russian interference in the vote. One of the sources said it was assembled in recent weeks.

Russia has loomed large over the first six months of the Trump presidency. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia worked to tilt the presidential election in Trump's favor. Mueller, who was appointed special counsel in May, is leading the probe, which also examines potential collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia.

Moscow denies any meddling and Trump denies any collusion by his campaign, while regularly denouncing the investigations as political witch hunts.

At a rally in Huntington, West Virginia, on Thursday night, Trump said: "Most people know there were no Russians in our campaign. ... We didn't win because of Russia. We won because of you."

Mueller's use of a grand jury could give him expansive tools to pursue evidence, including issuing subpoenas and compelling witnesses to testify. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported a grand jury was impaneled.

A grand jury is a group of ordinary citizens who, working behind closed doors, considers evidence of potential criminal wrongdoing that a prosecutor is investigating and decides whether charges should be brought.

"This is a serious development in the Mueller investigation," said Paul Callan, a former prosecutor.

"Given that Mueller inherited an investigation that began months ago, it would suggest that he has uncovered information pointing in the direction of criminal charges. But against whom is the real question."

A lawyer for Trump, Jay Sekulow, appeared to downplay the significance of a grand jury, telling Fox News: "This is not an unusual move."

U.S. stocks and the dollar weakened following the news, while U.S. Treasury securities gained.

It was not immediately clear to whom subpoenas were issued and the sources did not elaborate.

Some lawyers said it would put pressure on potential witnesses to cooperate with Mueller's investigation.

"When someone gets a subpoena to testify, that can drive home the seriousness of the investigation," said David Sklansky, a professor at Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor.

In 2005, a grand jury convened by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald returned an indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a top aide to then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

"A special counsel can bring an indictment and it has happened before," said Renato Mariotti, a partner at the law firm Thompson Coburn and a former federal prosecutor.

News last month of the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer who he was told had damaging information about his father's presidential rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, fueled questions about the campaign's dealings with Moscow.

The Republican president has defended his son's behavior, saying many people would have taken that meeting.

Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort also attended the meeting.

One of the sources said major Russian efforts to interfere in the election on Trump’s behalf began shortly after the June meeting, making it a focus of Mueller’s investigation.

Ty Cobb, special counsel to the president, said he was not aware that Mueller had started using a new grand jury.

"Grand jury matters are typically secret," Cobb said. "The White House favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly. ... The White House is committed to fully cooperating with Mr. Mueller."

John Dowd, one of Trump's personal lawyers, said: "With respect to the news of the grand jury, I can tell you President Trump is not under investigation."

Lawyers for Trump Jr. and Kushner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump has questioned Mueller's impartiality and members of Congress from both parties have expressed concern that Trump might dismiss him. Republican and Democratic senators introduced two pieces of legislation on Thursday seeking to block Trump from firing Mueller.

"The president is not thinking of firing Bob Mueller," Sekulow said.

One source briefed on the matter said Mueller was investigating whether, either at the meeting or afterward, anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign encouraged the Russians to start releasing material they had been collecting on the Clinton campaign since March 2016.

Another source familiar with the inquiry said that while the president himself was not now under investigation, Mueller's investigation was seeking to determine whether he knew of the June 9 meeting in advance or was briefed on it afterward.

Reuters earlier reported that Mueller's team was examining money-laundering accusations against Manafort and hoped to push him to cooperate with their probe into possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. It is not known if the grand jury is investigating those potential charges. </s> Washington (CNN)Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year's election, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN learned of the subpoenas hours before President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey.

The subpoenas represent the first sign of a significant escalation of activity in the FBI's broader investigation begun last July into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

 The subpoenas issued in recent weeks by the US Attorney's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, were received by associates who worked with Flynn on contracts after he was forced out as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014, according to the people familiar with the investigation.

 Robert Kelner, an attorney for Flynn, declined to comment. The US Attorney's Office in Alexandria, the Justice Department and the FBI also declined to comment.

Investigators have been looking into possible wrongdoing in how Flynn handled disclosures about payments from clients tied to foreign governments including Russia and Turkey, US officials briefed on the matter have told CNN.

 The Flynn inquiry is one piece of the broader investigation, which FBI Director James Comey testified in a Senate hearing last week is led jointly by the Alexandria US Attorney's Office and the Justice Department's National Security Division. </s> related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

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A grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included President Donald Trump's son, his son-in-law and a Russian lawyer, two sources told Reuters on Thursday, signalling an investigation is gathering pace into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

WASHINGTON: A grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included President Donald Trump's son, his son-in-law and a Russian lawyer, two sources told Reuters on Thursday, signalling an investigation is gathering pace into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

The sources added that U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller had convened the grand jury investigation in Washington to help examine allegations of Russian interference in the vote. One of the sources said it was assembled in recent weeks.

Russia has loomed large over the first six months of the Trump presidency. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia worked to tilt the presidential election in Trump's favour. Mueller, who was appointed special counsel in May, is leading the probe, which also examines potential collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia.

Moscow denies any meddling and Trump denies any collusion by his campaign, while regularly denouncing the investigations as political witch hunts.

At a rally in Huntington, West Virginia, on Thursday night, Trump said: "Most people know there were no Russians in our campaign. ... We didn't win because of Russia. We won because of you."

Mueller's use of a grand jury could give him expansive tools to pursue evidence, including issuing subpoenas and compelling witnesses to testify. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported a grand jury was impaneled.

A grand jury is a group of ordinary citizens who, working behind closed doors, considers evidence of potential criminal wrongdoing that a prosecutor is investigating and decides whether charges should be brought.

"This is a serious development in the Mueller investigation," said Paul Callan, a former prosecutor.

"Given that Mueller inherited an investigation that began months ago, it would suggest that he has uncovered information pointing in the direction of criminal charges. But against whom is the real question."

A lawyer for Trump, Jay Sekulow, appeared to downplay the significance of a grand jury, telling Fox News: "This is not an unusual move."

U.S. stocks and the dollar weakened following the news, while U.S. Treasury securities gained.

It was not immediately clear to whom subpoenas were issued and the sources did not elaborate.

Some lawyers said it would put pressure on potential witnesses to cooperate with Mueller's investigation.

"When someone gets a subpoena to testify, that can drive home the seriousness of the investigation," said David Sklansky, a professor at Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor.

In 2005, a grand jury convened by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald returned an indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a top aide to then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

"A special counsel can bring an indictment and it has happened before," said Renato Mariotti, a partner at the law firm Thompson Coburn and a former federal prosecutor.

News last month of the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer who he was told had damaging information about his father's presidential rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, fuelled questions about the campaign's dealings with Moscow.

The Republican president has defended his son's behaviour, saying many people would have taken that meeting.

Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort also attended the meeting.

One of the sources said major Russian efforts to interfere in the election on Trump’s behalf began shortly after the June meeting, making it a focus of Mueller’s investigation.

Ty Cobb, special counsel to the president, said he was not aware that Mueller had started using a new grand jury.

"Grand jury matters are typically secret," Cobb said. "The White House favours anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly. ... The White House is committed to fully cooperating with Mr. Mueller."

John Dowd, one of Trump's personal lawyers, said: "With respect to the news of the grand jury, I can tell you President Trump is not under investigation."

Lawyers for Trump Jr. and Kushner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump has questioned Mueller's impartiality and members of Congress from both parties have expressed concern that Trump might dismiss him. Republican and Democratic senators introduced two pieces of legislation on Thursday seeking to block Trump from firing Mueller.

"The president is not thinking of firing Bob Mueller," Sekulow said.

One source briefed on the matter said Mueller was investigating whether, either at the meeting or afterward, anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign encouraged the Russians to start releasing material they had been collecting on the Clinton campaign since March 2016.

Another source familiar with the inquiry said that while the president himself was not now under investigation, Mueller's investigation was seeking to determine whether he knew of the June 9 meeting in advance or was briefed on it afterward.

Reuters earlier reported that Mueller's team was examining money-laundering accusations against Manafort and hoped to push him to cooperate with their probe into possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. It is not known if the grand jury is investigating those potential charges.
Grand jury subpoenas have been issued in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and a Russian lawyer.