The problem with the investigation into possible collusion by Donald Trump and/or members of his campaign in Russian efforts to undermine our democracy is that we may already know almost everything of importance.

The e-mails disclosed by Donald Trump Jr. make it clear that he, along with Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, tried his best to get compromising intelligence on Hillary Clinton from the Russians. The second and more serious question is whether the Trump campaign aided the Russians in their efforts to undermine our election, but it seems unlikely that this inexperienced group had either the access or the skill to offer the Russians anything significant.

Candidate Trump’s public appeal to the Russians to obtain and release Clinton’s deleted e-mails represents a public act of encouragement, but the possibility of private contacts, especially if they implied a quid pro quo from Trump, is the most serious question remaining for the investigation.

Bob Schueler

Arlington