Trump son-in-law: I had 4 contacts with the Russians
Statement issued ahead of grilling
DONALD Trump’s son-in-law has admitted he had four contacts with the Russians during last year’s presidential election.
Jared Kushner insists nothing improper happened and denies colluding with Vladimir Putin’s regime to swing the vote.
The 36-year-old adviser, married to Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka, released a 3,600-word statement yesterday ahead of his meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee.
He will today speak to members of the House Intelligence Committee, which is also probing the Russia row.
In his statement, Mr Kushner also denied that Russians finance any of his business in the private sector.
He said: “I had no improper contacts. I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government.” Mr Kushner also detailed the
I did not collude, nor know of anyone in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government JARED KUSHNER IN STATEMENT
June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton. He said it was such a “waste of time” he asked his PA to call him out of it and he only went at the request of the President’s eldest son, Donald J Trump Jr.
Mr Kushner claims he did not read an email forwarded by Donald Jr saying the Kremlin was dishing dirt on Mrs Clinton as part of its effort to help the Trump win the White House.
He did acknowledge that after the election he sought a direct line of communication with Mr Putin – but as a routine as part of his job.
The FBI is probing Russian influence in the poll and US intelligence agencies think Mr Putin gave the go-ahead on a hacking and propaganda campaign.
In his statement, Mr Kushner listed meetings with Kremlin officials.
Mr Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia and has branded the probe the greatest “witch hunt” in political history.
Donald Jr and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort are negotiating with congressional investigators about when they will appear.
Brit John Mappin, who scooped £110,767 betting on a Donald Trump victory, has had a private audience with the President. The 51-year-old, who owns Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel, Cornwall, went to a Republican fundraising bash in Washington.