Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm once known as Blackwater, is asserting that a meeting he had with an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin was “incidental,” denying the existence of any back-channel communications with Russia.
Prince, who is the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell that he has had “no follow-up with them since then,” referring to a meeting in January 2017 that took place days before then-president-elect Trump was sworn into office, and involved a Russian banker and United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
“It was an incidental meeting,” he said.
Prince has repeatedly denied that the meeting took part on behalf of the Trump administration or the U.S., but is being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office over the meeting. Prince, in June, said he cooperated with Mueller’s probe into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Erik Prince to @mitchellreports on being questioned in the Mueller investigation over the Seychelles meeting: “It was an incidental meeting. I had no follow-up with them since then.” pic.twitter.com/N5KkeIlWzL
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 17, 2018
Prince was never an official member of the Trump campaign or eventual administration, but has informally advised Trump for years and was a prominent supporter during the 2016 election.
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Blackwater founder says it was "incidental" he met with Putin-linked official, not back-channel commnication https://t.co/pCAEZuO7kX pic.twitter.com/sVSZVxd9KO
— The Hill (@thehill) August 17, 2018
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