Bribery requires a quid pro quo with an identifiable "official act". I rather doubt DJT Jr. performed any official act (or even promised one) for Natalia Veselnitskaya. Now Honest Services Fraud (HSF) only requires the exchange of "things of value" (TOVs) with the corrupt intent to influence a public official's action. It seems to me that even the "bribery-lite" HSF statute doesn't apply here. In order for DJT Jr. to be guilty of HSF, he'd have to receive a TOV, not provide a TOV. Even if we assume DJT Jr. paid for the information, the TOV is going from DJT Jr. to Veselnitskaya. DJT Jr. can't be criminally responsible for providing a TOV with the corrupt attempt to influence a public official. It would be a stretch to argue that Veselnitskaya's information was the TOV if DJT Jr. paid for it. If that was the case, it wouldn't be any different from a campaign paying a caterer to cater an event. How can that be HSF?
I was just citing the law to answer the hypo. I have no idea how it applies to DJT Jr.
Actually, I think the Lying Left has succeeded in once again distracting the Right from the Lying Left’s mountain range of crimes with another dubious, frivolous charge.
I pay no attention to such stupidity coming from the Lying Left.