Back-door meeting not certain

look at. But now you find out the son-in-law of the president met with Russian officials at the Trump Tower after having them come in the back door.

Did Kushner meet with Russian officials at Trump Tower who came in the back door?

The evidence

Pocan’s office pointed us to a New York Times news article published the day before Pocan’s interview. It reported that the White House said Kushner had taken part in a meeting with one Russian official. According to the Times:

In December, Michael Flynn, who at the time was Trump’s incoming national security adviser, and Kushner met at Trump Tower with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. The purpose was to establish a line of communication between the new administration and the Russian government. Flynn appears to have been “the main interlocutor with the Russian envoy — the two were in contact during the campaign and the transition, Kislyak and current and former American officials have said.”

“They generally discussed the relationship and it made sense to establish a line of communication,” said White House spokeswoman Hope Hicks. “Jared has had meetings with many other foreign countries and representatives — as many as two dozen other foreign countries’ leaders and representatives.”

“It is common and not improper for transition officials to meet with foreign officials,” the Times article said. “But all meetings between Trump associates and Russians are now significant as the FBI investigates Russian interference in the American election and whether anyone close to Trump’s campaign was involved.”

Kushner’s attendance at the meeting was first reported by the New Yorker magazine. The White House also confirmed the meeting to other news media.

Pocan’s office also cited a news article in The Telegraph, a British newspaper, that said the Russian diplomat “reportedly” entered Trump Tower for the meeting by a back entrance.

We found a few claims and assumptions that the ambassador entered the building by a rear entrance, but no definitive reports that that was the case.

Our rating

Pocan said Kushner “met with Russian officials at the Trump Tower after having them come in the back door.”

It’s been confirmed that Kushner and Flynn met with the Russian ambassador in December at Trump Tower, but not confirmed that the ambassador entered through a back door of the tower.

We rate the statement Mostly True.