Trump Son-in-Law's Connections with Russians under FBI Scrutiny
Alwaght- Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner had several secret contacts with the Russian ambassador to the US during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, Reuters cited US Officials as saying.
Kushner, who is also a close adviser to Trump, had become a focus of the FBI investigation into whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, unmade sources told the new agency..
Trump's Orthodox Jewish son-in law initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s connections with Russian officials, the two sources said.
NBC News reported on Thursday that Kushner was under scrutiny by the FBI, in the first sign that the investigation, which began last July, has reached the president’s inner circle.
In March, the White House said that Kushner and Flynn had met Russian envoy Sergei Kislyak at Trump Tower in December to establish “a line of communication.” Kislyak also attended a Trump campaign speech in Washington in April 2016 that Kushner attended. The White House did not acknowledge any other contacts between Kushner and Russian officials.
According to Reuters, before the election, Kislyak’s undisclosed discussions with Kushner and Flynn focused on fighting terrorism and improving US-Russian economic relations.
After the Nov. 8 election, Kushner and Flynn also discussed with Kislyak the idea of creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, US official told Reuters.
Separately, there were at least 18 undisclosed calls and emails between Trump associates and Kremlin-linked people in the seven months before the Nov. 8 presidential election, including six calls with Kislyak, sources told Reuters earlier this month. Two people familiar with those 18 contacts said Flynn and Kushner were among the Trump associates who spoke to the ambassador by telephone. Reuters previously reported only Flynn’s involvement in those discussions.
