• Kushner now a focus in Russia investigation.
White House adviser met with Russian envoy, banker last year
WASHINGTON—The FBI is investigating meetings that President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had in December with Russian officials, The Washington Post and NBC News reported Thursday.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the House oversight committee asked the FBI to turn over more documents about former Director James Comey’s interactions with the White House and Justice Department, including materials dating back nearly four years to the Obama administration.
The FBI and the oversight committee — as well as several other congressional panels— are looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible connections between Russia and the Trump campaign. Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey on May 9 amid questions about the FBI’s investigation, which is now being led by special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director.
Mr. Kushner, a key White House adviser, had meetings late last year with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, and Russian banker Sergey Gorkov.
The Post story cited anonymous “people familiar with the investigation,” who said the FBI investigation does not mean that Mr. Kushner is suspected of a crime.
Kushner attorney Jamie Gorelick released a statement saying: “Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connectionwith any other inquiry.”
Earlier Thursday, House oversight committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told acting FBI Director Andrew Mc Cabe that he wants records of Mr. Comey’s contacts with the White House and Justice Department dating to September 2013, when Mr. Comey was sworn in as FBI director under then-President Barack Obama. In a letter to Mr. McCabe, Mr. Chaffetz said he is seeking to review Mr. Comey’s memos and other written materials so he can “better understand” Mr. Comey’s communications with the White House and attorneygeneral’s office.
Mr. Chaffetz, R-Utah, previously requested Mr. Comey’s recent memos about his private contacts with Mr. Trump. But the bureau told him Thursday it could not yet turn them over because of Mr. Mueller’s probe.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, continues to face a mounting tangle of potential legal troubles arising from his business dealings with foreign entities.
Several congressional committees have been seeking information about Mr. Flynn’s activities, and there are signs more subpoenas are coming. The Senate Intelligence Committee voted unanimously Thursday to give its top Republican and Democrat broad authority to issue subpoenas.
In other news, Mr. Trump’s drive to find a new FBI director has lost its “Joementum.” Former Sen. Joe Lieberman on Thursday withdrew his name from consideration for the post, citing a conflict of interest.