Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya charged with obstruction of justice News
Free-Photos / Pixabay
Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya charged with obstruction of justice

An indictment unsealed on Tuesday revealed that Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya has been charged with obstruction of justice by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Though this indictment involves a separate case, Veselnitskaya has been identified as a key figure in the Special Counsel‘s Russia probe due to her involvement in a 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr., and other officials in the Trump presidential campaign.

The indictment concerns Veselnitskaya’s involvement in United States v. Prevezon, a money laundering and tax fraud case in which she advised the defendants. Veselnitskaya is charged with making an “intentionally misleading declaration” through the course of the Prevezon Action that the Russian government’s findings regarding the case had been independently drafted when they had in fact been drafted by Veselnitskaya and a senior Russian prosecutor. This finding suggests Veselnitskaya has worked closely with Russian officials, despite her repeated denials that she is affiliated with the Russian government.

The case is unlikely to proceed unless Veselnitskaya returns to the US.