Two days ago, Donald Trump Jr. “voluntarily” tweeted out a bunch of incriminating emails that many are calling the “smoking gun” in the Trump-Russia election scandal. The president remarkably referred to this seeming self-immolation as “transparency” on his son’s part. The truth is the New York Times was just about to publish the emails so Junior wisely chose to get ahead of the story.

The real mystery in all this is how did the New York Times get its hands on the explosive emails? In other words, who leaked them?

The Times stated it leaned on five unnamed sources confirming the existence of the emails. At least two of those came from inside the White House.

So who dunnit?

There were only four principals involved in the email loop: Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and Rob Goldstone. If it’s one of them, Jared Kushner is the most likely choice. Trump’s son-in-law has come under a lot of fire the past few months and by leaking the emails, he could point the finger at Junior as the mastermind who arranged the whole thing. You know, “I didn’t know what the meeting was about ahead of time; only there a few minutes,” etc.

Names such as Mike Pence, Cory Lewandowski and Steve Bannon have been thrown around as possible leakers. But how would they have gotten their hands on the emails?

The most likely scenario involves Vladimir Putin and his band of hackers.

If you believe those emails, in plain and highly incriminating language, were sent from Goldstone to Trump Jr. without the knowledge and consent of Putin himself, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.

Putin most likely tried to use the emails as leverage against Trump in his attempt to have sanctions lifted against his country. When Putin did not get what he wanted from Trump at the G20 meeting, the emails found there way to the New York Times. Just look at the timing. Less than one week after Trump and Putin met in Hamburg. Hmm?

Realizing the political atmosphere will never allow for Trump to get the harsh U.S. sanctions lifted against his regime, why wouldn’t Putin just throw the nation he fears most into political chaos?

What Vladimir giveth Trump (the election), Vladimir can easily taketh away.

Photos via Republic of Korea/Flickr Gage Skidmore/Flickr (CC-BY-SA) Remix by Jason Reed