Leah Millis/Reuters
Spanish authorities have reportedly provided the FBI with secret wiretapped conversations involving Alexander Torshin, a Vladimir Putin ally with links to the National Rifle Association who made a “Russian backdoor overture” to Trump’s campaign. José Grinda, a Spanish anti-corruption prosecutor familiar with the conversations, told Yahoo News that Torshin was recorded speaking with convicted Russian money launderer Alexander Romanov, who refers to Torshin in the tapes as “El Padrino,” or “the godfather.” Grinda reportedly suggested the wiretap touches on a May 2016 meeting Torshin had with Donald Trump Jr. at the NRA’s annual convention in Louisville. “Mr. Trump’s son should be concerned,” Grinda was quoted as saying. Trump Jr. has acknowledged speaking with Torshin at the event but said the two shared only a brief moment of “small talk.” Torshin was hit by U.S. sanctions last month and has come under scrutiny amid the ongoing Russia investigation. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he used an intermediary to pitch a meeting between Trump and the Russian president, though Trump’s team is said to have passed on the offer.