Donald Trump Jr.
Donald Trump Jr.Reuters

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has “no problem” with Donald Trump Jr. testifying publicly about his controversial meeting last year with a Russian lawyer, Politico reported.

Mueller also does not object to the panel seeking testimony from former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who attended the meeting with the Russian lawyer, or from Glenn Simpson, co-founder of the firm Fusion GPS, according to Feinstein.

Trump Jr., son of U.S. President Donald Trump, said last week he would be “happy” to speak to the Senate about the meeting with the Russian lawyer who promised to provide comprising information about then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

“Happy to work with the committee to pass on what I know,” Trump Jr. tweeted.

The saga began after The New York Times reported that Trump Jr., along with then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who promised to provide damaging information on Clinton at the meeting.

Trump Jr. subsequently released the entire email chain of the conversations which led to the meeting.

It remains unclear whether Veselnitskaya actually produced the promised compromising information about Clinton, but Trump Jr. told Fox News last week the meeting with the lawyer was "a nothing".

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) last week told reporters he planned to invite Trump Jr. and Manafort to testify before his panel as early as this week, and was willing to subpoena them if necessary.

A spokesman for the Judiciary Committee, Taylor Foy, issued a statement last week saying the committee would work with Mueller to ensure the panel's plans do not conflict with potential criminal investigations.

Feinstein on Tuesday said she thinks the hearing with Trump Jr. will happen “this period,” referring to the congressional work period before the August recess, according to Politico.