Trump’s son-in-law ‘under investigation’
Jared Kushner identified as significant figure by FBI investigation into dealings with Russian officials
Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to Donald Trump and the president’s son-in-law, is under scrutiny by the FBI as part of its Russia investigation, it was reported last night. Officials believe Mr Kushner has “significant information” and they are reportedly focusing on meetings he held with the Russian ambassador and a banker from Moscow after the US election. Mr Kushner, a real estate developer, is married to the president’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump.
JARED KUSHNER, a senior adviser to Donald Trump and the president’s sonin-law is under scrutiny by the FBI as part of its Russia investigation, it was reported last night.
Officials believe that Mr Kushner has “significant information” and they are reportedly focusing on meetings he held with the Russian ambassador to the US and a banker from Moscow in the weeks after Mr Trump’s election victory last December. Mr Kushner, a real estate developer who is married to the president’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, has not been accused of committing any crimes.
He is under investigation for the “extent and nature” of his interaction with Russian officials, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Paul Manafort, Mr Trump’s former campaign manager, and Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, are formally considered subjects of the FBI investigation. Mr Kushner is not in that category, NBC reported.
It was not known whether Mr Kushner had received any requests from the FBI for records of the meetings. He is the only current White House official known to be considered a key figure in the inquiry. Mr Kushner met Sergey Kislyak, Russian ambassador, and Sergey Gorkov, the head of Vnesheconombank, which has been the subject of US sanctions, in December. The meetings, which Mr Flynn also attended, were not made public at the time.
The apparent scrutiny of Mr Kushner means the FBI investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election and contact with Trump aides goes to the highest levels of the White House. Investigators are also looking into possible financial crimes. A spokesman for Mr Kushner said: “Mr Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry.”
Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokesman, said: “I can’t confirm or deny the existence or non-existence of investigations or subjects of investigations.”
Mr Trump dismissed James Comey, the former FBI director, two weeks ago, in a move widely interpreted as being a response to the investigation into the Trump campaign.
“I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off,” the president told Russian officials, according to a White House document. It was claimed last week that the president gave high-level intelligence to Russian diplomats and previously put pressure on Mr Comey to stop investigating Mr Flynn.
A special counsel, headed by former FBI chief Robert Mueller, has been appointed to investigate Russian links to the Trump campaign.
Congress is also looking into links between the Trump campaign team and Russia. The White House has reportedly established a “war room” to deal with the Russia investigation.
Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House oversight committee, asked the FBI yesterday to hand over more documents about Mr Comey’s interactions with the White House and Justice Department.