For the first time, there’s evidence a top Trump associate agreed to a meeting to hear damaging information about Hillary Clinton during the U.S. presidential campaign.

(Brian Rosness / Reuters)

The president’s eldest son, Donald Jr., has released a chain of emails that show him discussing plans to hear the information described as ”part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” 

Trump’s son says he’s releasing the emails ”in order to be totally transparent.”

The emails were between Trump Jr. and music publicist Rob Goldstone.

Dated June of last year, they show Goldstone telling the president’s son that a Russian singer and his developer father had ”helped along” the Russian government’s support for Donald Trump.

Trump Jr. was told the Russian government had information that could ”incriminate” Clinton, to which the president’s son replied ”If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.”

This past weekend, Trump Jr described his encounter with a Russian lawyer as being a ”short introductory meeting” focused on a disbanded program that had allowed American adoptions of Russian children.

He then acknowledged he was told prior to the meeting that the lawyer might have information ”helpful” to his father’s presidential campaign.

Trump Jr. today issued a statement that he thought what he would hear about Clinton would be political opposition research.

The Kremlin-linked lawyer says the meeting was not about Hillary Clinton but rather to discuss sanctions between the U.S. and Russia.

President Trump has issued a statement saying his son’s a ”high-quality person” and ”I applaud his transparency.”

At a media briefing Monday White House spokesperson said the president had learned of his son’s meeting ”in the last couple days, is my understanding.”