President’s son-in-law to face questions over Russia meetings
By in Washington JARED KUSHNER, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, is to be interviewed by the Senate committee investigating meddling by Russia in last year’s US election.
Mr Kushner will be the first person in the White House, and the closest to Mr Trump, to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee to be asked about meetings with Russian officials.
He met the Russian ambassador once and also met the head of a Russian bank during the period between Mr Trump’s election victory in November and his inauguration in January,
Yesterday, Mr Kushner was appointed by Mr Trump to head what was described as a “SWAT team” of business executives in the West Wing tasked with overhauling aspects of government.
The White House said Mr Kushner, who is married to the president’s daughter Ivanka, had met dozens of officials from foreign countries including Russia as part of his job. He was willing to appear before the committee, wanted to be “transparent,” and was “not trying to hide anything”.
The Senate panel wants to ask him about a meeting with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador, at Trump Tower in New York in early December.
It was also attended by Michael Flynn, who was later fired as Mr Trump’s national security adviser after he was found to have given misleading information about the extent of his contacts with Mr Kislyak. According to the New York Times Mr Kislyak requested a second meeting with Mr Kushner, who asked a deputy to attend instead.
The Russian ambassador also asked that Mr Kushner meet Sergei Gorkov, head of Vnesheconombank, the Russian state-owned development bank.
Vnesheconombank was among the Russian banks sanctioned by the US and EU over Valdimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and interference in Ukraine.
The Russian bank later confirmed its executives had talks with Mr Kushner. The meetings took place “in the format of a strategy development roadshow”, Russia’s state-run news agency said.
According to the White House, neither Mr Kushner’s private business affairs nor sanctions on the bank were discussed, and it “wasn’t much of a conversation”. The New York Times reported that the bank’s board is controlled by allies of Mr Putin. The White House said Mr Kushner’s meetings with the Russian officials led nowhere.
US intelligence agencies believe Moscow was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails embarrassing to Hillary Clinton during the election campaign.
At least four committees in Congress are now investigating Russian meddling in the election and any ties between Moscow and people associated with the Trump campaign.