Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, said on Monday he &quot;did not collude&quot; with Russia and had roughly four meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition, AFP reports.

In a written statement released ahead of his scheduled appearance before lawmakers in closed-door sessions, Kushner said his initial White House security clearance form had been submitted prematurely in error and had omitted all foreign contacts.

Filing misleading information in this form is a felony which carries&nbsp;a possible five-year jail sentence. Kushner&nbsp;originally claimed&nbsp;he had no&nbsp;foreign contacts before the election, and updated the forms, several times, to show he had over <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Jared-Kushner-added-more-than-100-names-to-his-list-of-foreign-contacts-in-updated-security-clearance-forms/articleshow/59581180.cms">100 foreign contacts</a> from over 20 countries.

&quot;I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government,&quot; Kushner said.&nbsp;&quot;I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector,&quot; he said.

Trump&#39;s son Donald Trump Jr released emails this month, with a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/11/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-email-text.html" target="_blank">subject heading</a> &#39;&#39;Re - Russia-Clinton--private and confidential&#39;,&nbsp;that showed Trump Jr appeared to welcome the prospect of damaging information from the Russian government about Clinton. Members of both committees say they are eager to hear about the June 2016 meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort were also at the meeting.

Kushner faces two days of closed-door questioning from Congress as lawmakers try to determine whether Trump&#39;s campaign enlisted Russia&#39;s help to win the White House in last year&#39;s election.

Kushner is scheduled to address the Senate Intelligence Committee at 10 am&nbsp;on Monday and the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday. Trump has been dogged by allegations that his campaign aides worked with Russia, which US.&nbsp;

Intelligence agencies have accused Russia of interfering in the election. Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Moscow.&nbsp;The Republican president has said the Russia probes in Congress and the Justice Department are politically motivated.

In a tweet on Monday morning, Trump lashed out at the ongoing investigations.

&quot;So why aren&#39;t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered AG, looking into Crooked Hillary&#39;s crimes &amp; Russia relations?&quot; he added, referring to his former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton.

&nbsp;

Kushner described the secret meetings with Russians promising damaging information about Clinton&nbsp;as a waste of time. &quot;I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote &#39;Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting.&#39;&quot;

He said no part of the meeting he attended &quot;included anything about the campaign&quot; and he had no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted. <a href="http://time.com/4858397/donald-trump-jr-meeting-russian-lobbyist/" target="_blank">Time </a>reports that during the meeting, Akmetshin and the Russian lawyer Veselnitskaya brought a plastic folder with printed-out documents that detailed what she believed was the flow of illicit funds to the Democratic National Committee.

As for nothing being discussed related to the campaign, Trump Jr and even President Trump have said this secret meeting&nbsp;discussed &quot;adoption&quot;, which refers to the Magnitsky Act. After Obama in 2012 put sanctions on Russian oligarchs accused of human rights violations, a law known as the Magnitsky Act, Putin responded by forbidding Americans from adopting Russian babies.

The Magnitsky Act is thought to be preventing the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars.&nbsp;The Trump administration&#39;s potential willingness to drop sanctions against Russia is at the heart of the alleged connection between US President Donald&nbsp;Trump and Russia. Investigations into this are ongoing.&nbsp;

The Senate Judiciary Committee is negotiating with Manafort and Trump Jr&nbsp;about testifying in a public hearing. &nbsp;The congressional committees, along with federal special counsel Robert Mueller, are examining Russia&#39;s influence in the US election and possible links to Trump&#39;s campaign.

&nbsp;

&#39;Secret back channel&#39;

Kushner will also face questions about reports he tried to set up a secret back channel to Moscow, as well as other contacts with top Russian officials and business leaders.

Kushner said he first met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in Washington in April 2016 and shook hands. He said he did not recall phone calls with Kislyak between April and November of that year as reported by Reuters in May, had found no evidence of the calls in phone records and was skeptical they took place.&nbsp;

In a meeting with Kislyak after the election, on December&nbsp;1, Kushner said he articulated a desire for the United States to make a fresh start with Russia.

&quot;The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should, of course, be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day,&quot; he said.

He said the Russian ambassador asked if there was a secure line in Trump&#39;s transition office to facilitate a discussion with Russian generals about Syria. There was not.&nbsp;

Kushner suggested arranging something through an existing communications channel at the Russian embassy, but Kislyak indicated that was not possible and they agreed to follow up after the inauguration.

&quot;Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a &#39;secret back channel.&#39;&nbsp;I did not suggest an ongoing secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office,&quot; Kushner said. &quot;I did not raise the possibility of using the embassy or any other Russian facility for any purpose other than this one possible conversation in the transition period. We did not discuss sanctions.&quot;

Kushner said he met on December 13 with Sergey Gorkov, the head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, because Kislyak`s insistence and because he had a &quot;direct relationship&quot; with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama&#39;s administration were not discussed nor were Kushner`s business activities, Kushner said.

&quot;I did not know or have any contact with Mr Gorkov before that meeting, and I have had no reason to connect with him since,&quot; Kushner wrote.

Kushner did not initially disclose any meetings with Russians on forms he filed to get a government security clearance. He has since revised those forms several times.

He said the forms were initially submitted prematurely in error and omitted all foreign contacts he had had, not just those with Russian officials.

(With agency inputs)

 
&nbsp;

Kushner said his original White House security clearance form, which said he had 0 foreign contacts instead of over 100, had been submitted in error

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, said on Monday he "did not collude" with Russia and had roughly four meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition, AFP reports. In a written statement released ahead of his scheduled appearance before lawmakers in closed-door sessions, Kushner said his initial White House security clearance form had been submitted prematurely in error and had omitted all foreign contacts. Filing misleading information in this form is a felony which carries a possible five-year jail sentence. Kushner originally claimed he had no foreign contacts before the election, and updated the forms, several times, to show he had over 100 foreign contacts from over 20 countries. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner said. "I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," he said. Trump's son Donald Trump Jr released emails this month, with a subject heading ''Re - Russia-Clinton--private and confidential', that showed Trump Jr appeared to welcome the prospect of damaging information from the Russian government about Clinton. Members of both committees say they are eager to hear about the June 2016 meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort were also at the meeting. Kushner faces two days of closed-door questioning from Congress as lawmakers try to determine whether Trump's campaign enlisted Russia's help to win the White House in last year's election. Kushner is scheduled to address the Senate Intelligence Committee at 10 am on Monday and the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday. Trump has been dogged by allegations that his campaign aides worked with Russia, which US. Intelligence agencies have accused Russia of interfering in the election. Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Moscow. The Republican president has said the Russia probes in Congress and the Justice Department are politically motivated. In a tweet on Monday morning, Trump lashed out at the ongoing investigations. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered AG, looking into Crooked Hillary's crimes & Russia relations?" he added, referring to his former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton. Kushner described the secret meetings with Russians promising damaging information about Clinton as a waste of time. "I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote 'Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting.'" He said no part of the meeting he attended "included anything about the campaign" and he had no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted. Time reports that during the meeting, Akmetshin and the Russian lawyer Veselnitskaya brought a plastic folder with printed-out documents that detailed what she believed was the flow of illicit funds to the Democratic National Committee. As for nothing being discussed related to the campaign, Trump Jr and even President Trump have said this secret meeting discussed "adoption", which refers to the Magnitsky Act. After Obama in 2012 put sanctions on Russian oligarchs accused of human rights violations, a law known as the Magnitsky Act, Putin responded by forbidding Americans from adopting Russian babies. The Magnitsky Act is thought to be preventing the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars. The Trump administration's potential willingness to drop sanctions against Russia is at the heart of the alleged connection between US President Donald Trump and Russia. Investigations into this are ongoing. The Senate Judiciary Committee is negotiating with Manafort and Trump Jr about testifying in a public hearing. The congressional committees, along with federal special counsel Robert Mueller, are examining Russia's influence in the US election and possible links to Trump's campaign. 'Secret back channel' Kushner will also face questions about reports he tried to set up a secret back channel to Moscow, as well as other contacts with top Russian officials and business leaders. Kushner said he first met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in Washington in April 2016 and shook hands. He said he did not recall phone calls with Kislyak between April and November of that year as reported by Reuters in May, had found no evidence of the calls in phone records and was skeptical they took place. In a meeting with Kislyak after the election, on December 1, Kushner said he articulated a desire for the United States to make a fresh start with Russia. "The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should, of course, be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day," he said. He said the Russian ambassador asked if there was a secure line in Trump's transition office to facilitate a discussion with Russian generals about Syria. There was not. Kushner suggested arranging something through an existing communications channel at the Russian embassy, but Kislyak indicated that was not possible and they agreed to follow up after the inauguration. "Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a 'secret back channel.' I did not suggest an ongoing secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office," Kushner said. "I did not raise the possibility of using the embassy or any other Russian facility for any purpose other than this one possible conversation in the transition period. We did not discuss sanctions." Kushner said he met on December 13 with Sergey Gorkov, the head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, because Kislyak`s insistence and because he had a "direct relationship" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama's administration were not discussed nor were Kushner`s business activities, Kushner said. "I did not know or have any contact with Mr Gorkov before that meeting, and I have had no reason to connect with him since," Kushner wrote. Kushner did not initially disclose any meetings with Russians on forms he filed to get a government security clearance. He has since revised those forms several times. He said the forms were initially submitted prematurely in error and omitted all foreign contacts he had had, not just those with Russian officials. (With agency inputs)

Trump son-in-law Kushner denies collusion despite 'private, confidential' meeting with Russian officials ???????

India&#39;s SREI Infrastructure Finance hopes to sign a $500 million joint venture this week with Russian state lender Vnesheconombank, or&nbsp;VEB, to finance exports of equipment to India, managing director Hemant Kanoria said on Thursday.

Kanoria was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the St Petersburg economic forum where Russian and foreign businessmen gather every year in June.

&quot;We are looking at a joint venture with VEB which will be trying to support equipment exports from Russia into India. This would be heavy equipment going into the mining, construction and other industry in India,&quot; Kanoria said, adding that the machinery could be leased or purchased in India.

&quot;We are looking at half a billion dollars to do a memorandum of understanding with them.&quot; Asked if the venture could be announced at the St Petersburg forum, Kanoria said: &quot;Yes&quot;.

He said SREI had also mooted creating a joint infrastructure fund together with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) but progress had been slow so far.

SREI&#39;s projects in Russia have stalled since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine&#39;s Crimea region, forcing partners in its Russian venture to pull back. These include the European Bank for Reconstruction (EBRD) and Development and Germany&#39;s DEG.

In early December 2016 Sergey Gorkov, the head of VEB, secretly met with US President Donald Trump&#39;s son in law&nbsp;Jared Kushner, who is also now a senior white house adviser. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/jared-kushner-now-a-focus-in-russia-investigation/2017/05/25/f078db74-40c7-11e7-8c25-44d09ff5a4a8_story.html?utm_term=.5ba3b2057406" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported that the federal investigation into Trump&#39;s Russia probe is looking at&nbsp;Kushner, because of &quot;the extent and nature of his interactions&quot; with the ambassador and Gorkov.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending this year&#39;s St Petersburg forum and also holding a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Indian company's projects in Russia have stalled since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow for annexing Crimea

India's SREI Infrastructure Finance hopes to sign a $500 million joint venture this week with Russian state lender Vnesheconombank, or VEB, to finance exports of equipment to India, managing director Hemant Kanoria said on Thursday. Kanoria was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the St Petersburg economic forum where Russian and foreign businessmen gather every year in June. "We are looking at a joint venture with VEB which will be trying to support equipment exports from Russia into India. This would be heavy equipment going into the mining, construction and other industry in India," Kanoria said, adding that the machinery could be leased or purchased in India. "We are looking at half a billion dollars to do a memorandum of understanding with them." Asked if the venture could be announced at the St Petersburg forum, Kanoria said: "Yes". He said SREI had also mooted creating a joint infrastructure fund together with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) but progress had been slow so far. SREI's projects in Russia have stalled since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, forcing partners in its Russian venture to pull back. These include the European Bank for Reconstruction (EBRD) and Development and Germany's DEG. In early December 2016 Sergey Gorkov, the head of VEB, secretly met with US President Donald Trump's son in law Jared Kushner, who is also now a senior white house adviser. The Washington Post reported that the federal investigation into Trump's Russia probe is looking at Kushner, because of "the extent and nature of his interactions" with the ambassador and Gorkov. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending this year's St Petersburg forum and also holding a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

SREI says to ink $500 million venture with Russia's state lender VEB

A White House in crisis scrambled to allay public concern over reports that Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law sought a secret communications link to Russia -- a bombshell allegation the US president swatted down as &quot;fabricated.&quot;

After returning late Saturday from his first foreign trip as president, Trump geared up to combat concerns over his advisers&#39; ties to Russia, including explosive reports about Jared Kushner, his indispensable aide-de-camp.

Trump met&nbsp;with attorneys at the White House on Sunday, presumably over the latest development in the long-running Russia intelligence saga, news reports said.

US media said the White House is creating a new rapid-fire communications unit to respond to the controversy, led by Kushner, senior presidential adviser Steve Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

Trump, who had been uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter during his nine-day trip abroad, resumed his favorite pastime with fury on Sunday, dismissing allegations of Russia ties as &quot;fake news&quot; and &quot;fabricated lies.&quot;

&quot;It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media,&quot; he wrote.

&quot;Whenever you see the words &#39;sources say&#39; in the fake news media, and they don&#39;t mention names it is very possible that those sources don&#39;t exsist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!&quot; the US leader wrote, spelling errors and all.

In yet another tweet, amid criticism of his frequent Twitter rants, Trump wrote: &quot;the Fake News Media works hard at disparaging &amp; demeaning my use of social media because they don&#39;t want America to hear the real story!&quot;

No respite

The administration had hoped Trump&#39;s nine-day turn in the international spotlight would offer a respite from relentless coverage -- marked by an endless barrage of explosive revelations -- of an ever-widening probe into Russian meddling in last year&#39;s election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign.

However, the eve of his return brought the biggest story to date: A Washington Post report about Kushner&#39;s alleged proposal to the Russians to create a secret channel out of the reach of US spymasters.

The talks between Kushner and the Russians, if confirmed, would raise new questions about the Trump team&#39;s relationship with Moscow, which US intelligence agencies say tried to sway the November election in Trump&#39;s favor.

Meanwhile, a parade of senior administration officials tried to downplay the story, saying it was not all that unusual to establish &quot;back-channel&quot; ties with a foreign government.

Trump&#39;s National Security Advisor H R&nbsp;McMaster refused to talk about the allegations, but said that generally speaking, &quot;we have back-channel communication with a number of countries... I would not be concerned about it.&quot;

His comments were echoed by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.

&quot;It&#39;s both normal in my opinion and acceptable,&quot; he told ABC News on Sunday.

&quot;Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organizations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us, is a good thing and, again, it comes back to whatever the communication is, comes back into the government and shared across the government; so, it&#39;s not a bad thing to have multiple communication lines to any government,&quot; he said.

But the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating the Russian election meddling, was dubious about those assertions.

&quot;You have to ask, well, who are they hiding the conversations from?&quot; Representative Adam Schiff said in an interview with ABC News.

He added: &quot;Ultimately we&#39;re going to want Mr Kushner to come before the committee and I fully expect that to happen.&quot;

Kushner under fire&nbsp;

Kushner made his secret communications proposal on December 1 or 2 at Trump Tower in New York, according to intercepts of Russian communications reviewed by US officials, the Post reported late Friday.

Michael Flynn, who was Trump&#39;s national security adviser for just 24 days before being fired amid questions about meetings he held with the Russian ambassador, was also present, the newspaper reported.

Kushner boasts an enormous portfolio of domestic and international responsibilities, underscoring his importance as Trump&#39;s chief adviser despite having no experience in politics before the 2016 White House race.

He is the only person currently in the White House known to be under investigation.&nbsp;

Some critics have called for Kushner&#39;s security clearance to be revoked, others say he should temporarily step aside while his ties to Moscow are being reviewed.

The wider investigation into Russia&#39;s alleged election meddling is being led by Robert Mueller, a respected former FBI director who was given broad powers to pursue the case as a special counsel.

The Senate and House Intelligence committees are also leading their own investigations, but not with an eye to bringing criminal charges.

Meanwhile, some top Republicans cast doubts on the Post&#39;s reporting, suggesting the whole episode may be a Russian ruse to throw America&#39;s political system into a tailspin.

&quot;We&#39;re chasing our tails as a nation when it comes to the Russians,&quot; Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN.

&quot;I don&#39;t trust this story as far as I can throw it,&quot; he said. &quot;The whole story line is suspicious.&quot;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Trump dismissed allegations of Russia ties as 'fake news' and "fabricated lies'

A White House in crisis scrambled to allay public concern over reports that Donald Trump's son-in-law sought a secret communications link to Russia -- a bombshell allegation the US president swatted down as "fabricated." After returning late Saturday from his first foreign trip as president, Trump geared up to combat concerns over his advisers' ties to Russia, including explosive reports about Jared Kushner, his indispensable aide-de-camp. Trump met with attorneys at the White House on Sunday, presumably over the latest development in the long-running Russia intelligence saga, news reports said. US media said the White House is creating a new rapid-fire communications unit to respond to the controversy, led by Kushner, senior presidential adviser Steve Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Trump, who had been uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter during his nine-day trip abroad, resumed his favorite pastime with fury on Sunday, dismissing allegations of Russia ties as "fake news" and "fabricated lies." "It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," he wrote. "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names it is very possible that those sources don't exsist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!" the US leader wrote, spelling errors and all. In yet another tweet, amid criticism of his frequent Twitter rants, Trump wrote: "the Fake News Media works hard at disparaging & demeaning my use of social media because they don't want America to hear the real story!" No respite The administration had hoped Trump's nine-day turn in the international spotlight would offer a respite from relentless coverage -- marked by an endless barrage of explosive revelations -- of an ever-widening probe into Russian meddling in last year's election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign. However, the eve of his return brought the biggest story to date: A Washington Post report about Kushner's alleged proposal to the Russians to create a secret channel out of the reach of US spymasters. The talks between Kushner and the Russians, if confirmed, would raise new questions about the Trump team's relationship with Moscow, which US intelligence agencies say tried to sway the November election in Trump's favor. Meanwhile, a parade of senior administration officials tried to downplay the story, saying it was not all that unusual to establish "back-channel" ties with a foreign government. Trump's National Security Advisor H R McMaster refused to talk about the allegations, but said that generally speaking, "we have back-channel communication with a number of countries... I would not be concerned about it." His comments were echoed by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. "It's both normal in my opinion and acceptable," he told ABC News on Sunday. "Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organizations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us, is a good thing and, again, it comes back to whatever the communication is, comes back into the government and shared across the government; so, it's not a bad thing to have multiple communication lines to any government," he said. But the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating the Russian election meddling, was dubious about those assertions. "You have to ask, well, who are they hiding the conversations from?" Representative Adam Schiff said in an interview with ABC News. He added: "Ultimately we're going to want Mr Kushner to come before the committee and I fully expect that to happen." Kushner under fire Kushner made his secret communications proposal on December 1 or 2 at Trump Tower in New York, according to intercepts of Russian communications reviewed by US officials, the Post reported late Friday. Michael Flynn, who was Trump's national security adviser for just 24 days before being fired amid questions about meetings he held with the Russian ambassador, was also present, the newspaper reported. Kushner boasts an enormous portfolio of domestic and international responsibilities, underscoring his importance as Trump's chief adviser despite having no experience in politics before the 2016 White House race. He is the only person currently in the White House known to be under investigation. Some critics have called for Kushner's security clearance to be revoked, others say he should temporarily step aside while his ties to Moscow are being reviewed. The wider investigation into Russia's alleged election meddling is being led by Robert Mueller, a respected former FBI director who was given broad powers to pursue the case as a special counsel. The Senate and House Intelligence committees are also leading their own investigations, but not with an eye to bringing criminal charges. Meanwhile, some top Republicans cast doubts on the Post's reporting, suggesting the whole episode may be a Russian ruse to throw America's political system into a tailspin. "We're chasing our tails as a nation when it comes to the Russians," Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN. "I don't trust this story as far as I can throw it," he said. "The whole story line is suspicious." (AFP)

Trump says report of Jared Kushner's outreach to Russia 'fabricated'

President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, made a pre-inauguration proposal to the Russian ambassador to set up a secret, bug-proof communications line with the Kremlin, the Washington Post reported Friday evening.

Kushner, then and now a close adviser to Trump, went so far as to suggest using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States to protect such a channel from being monitored, the Post said, quoting US officials briefed on intelligence reports.

The Post story is yet another sensational detail in the deluge of allegations raising questions about team Trump&#39;s relationship with the Russians, whom US intelligence agencies say tried to sway the November election in Trump&#39;s favour and thus deny Hillary Clinton the presidency.

And it ensures that Trump will be thrust right back into the din of the Russia scandal upon his return to Washington this weekend, following his first foreign trip, a tour of the Middle East and Europe.

The Washington Post said the secret comms proposal was made December 1 or 2 at Trump Tower in New York, according to intercepts of Russian communications that were reviewed by US officials.&nbsp;

Michael Flynn, who would become Trump&#39;s national security adviser before being fired 24 days into the job for not telling the truth about meetings he held with the Russian ambassador, was also at the meeting, the Post said.

The Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, was surprised by Kushner&#39;s idea of the secret channel and passed it on to the Kremlin, the Post said. It did not specify what came of Kushner&#39;s alleged pitch if anything.

The White House did not immediately comment on the Post report.&nbsp;

Besides the Kushner developments, which strikes at Trump&#39;s core by drawing his family into the crisis, the White House also faces a cascade of other worries in the coming week.

Fired former FBI director James Comey has promised to testify at a yet-unscheduled open session before the Senate Intelligence Committee, sometime after Monday&#39;s Memorial Day holiday.

And the White House staff itself could be facing upheaval. CBS News reported that Trump is expected to consider plans for a shakeup of his communications operation upon his return.

Kushner at centre stage

But Kushner, the 36-year-old real estate developer who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka, is likely to take centre stage in the coming days.

Reserved in public, he was on prominent view during Trump&#39;s first presidential trip, as befits a trusted behind-the-scenes adviser involved in everything from Middle East peace to an initiative to streamline the US bureaucracy.

The Post reported earlier that investigators are focusing on meetings he held in December with Moscow&#39;s ambassador and the head of a Russian bank that has been under US sanctions since 2014.

Kushner has offered to talk to Congress about these meetings, according to his lawyer Jamie Gorelick.

The Post and other media have been careful to note that their sources did not say Kushner was a &quot;target&quot; of the investigation, nor that he was accused of any wrongdoing.

If he were a &quot;target,&quot; it would suggest Kushner was a main suspect in the investigation.

The Post reported last week that the Russia investigation had been extended to a top White House official as a &quot;significant person of interest.&quot;

Kushner is the only person currently in the White House known to be under investigation.

Russia contacts

At least four other former campaign aides or advisers have been reported to be under FBI scrutiny as well -- Flynn, former campaign manager Paul Manafort, sometime Trump adviser Roger Stone, and ex-campaign adviser Carter Page.

The FBI investigation is now being overseen by Robert Mueller, a respected former FBI director who was given broad powers to pursue the case as a special counsel after Trump abruptly fired Comey on May 9.

The key question before the FBI is whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in its effort to tilt the 2016 US election in the Republican&#39;s favour, which included a damaging hack of Democratic campaign emails.

Trump has denied any collusion, calling the probe &quot;the greatest witch hunt&quot; in American political history.&nbsp;

Former CIA director John Brennan revealed this week that intelligence chiefs had been looking into suspicious contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials since mid-2016.

The Senate and House Intelligence Committees also are investigating, but not with an eye to bringing criminal charges.

In early December, after Trump had won the elections, Kushner and Flynn met in New York with Kislyak.

Kushner also met that month with Sergei Gorkov, chairman of VneshEconomBank, the state bank under US sanctions since July 2014.

Both those meetings have since been publicly acknowledged by the White House, but Kushner initially failed to declare them on forms submitted to obtain a security clearance.

His lawyer later said it was a mistake, telling the FBI that he would amend the forms.

(AFP)

He went so far as to suggest using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States to protect such a channel from being monitored

President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, made a pre-inauguration proposal to the Russian ambassador to set up a secret, bug-proof communications line with the Kremlin, the Washington Post reported Friday evening. Kushner, then and now a close adviser to Trump, went so far as to suggest using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States to protect such a channel from being monitored, the Post said, quoting US officials briefed on intelligence reports. The Post story is yet another sensational detail in the deluge of allegations raising questions about team Trump's relationship with the Russians, whom US intelligence agencies say tried to sway the November election in Trump's favour and thus deny Hillary Clinton the presidency. And it ensures that Trump will be thrust right back into the din of the Russia scandal upon his return to Washington this weekend, following his first foreign trip, a tour of the Middle East and Europe. The Washington Post said the secret comms proposal was made December 1 or 2 at Trump Tower in New York, according to intercepts of Russian communications that were reviewed by US officials. Michael Flynn, who would become Trump's national security adviser before being fired 24 days into the job for not telling the truth about meetings he held with the Russian ambassador, was also at the meeting, the Post said. The Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, was surprised by Kushner's idea of the secret channel and passed it on to the Kremlin, the Post said. It did not specify what came of Kushner's alleged pitch if anything. The White House did not immediately comment on the Post report. Besides the Kushner developments, which strikes at Trump's core by drawing his family into the crisis, the White House also faces a cascade of other worries in the coming week. Fired former FBI director James Comey has promised to testify at a yet-unscheduled open session before the Senate Intelligence Committee, sometime after Monday's Memorial Day holiday. And the White House staff itself could be facing upheaval. CBS News reported that Trump is expected to consider plans for a shakeup of his communications operation upon his return. Kushner at centre stage But Kushner, the 36-year-old real estate developer who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, is likely to take centre stage in the coming days. Reserved in public, he was on prominent view during Trump's first presidential trip, as befits a trusted behind-the-scenes adviser involved in everything from Middle East peace to an initiative to streamline the US bureaucracy. The Post reported earlier that investigators are focusing on meetings he held in December with Moscow's ambassador and the head of a Russian bank that has been under US sanctions since 2014. Kushner has offered to talk to Congress about these meetings, according to his lawyer Jamie Gorelick. The Post and other media have been careful to note that their sources did not say Kushner was a "target" of the investigation, nor that he was accused of any wrongdoing. If he were a "target," it would suggest Kushner was a main suspect in the investigation. The Post reported last week that the Russia investigation had been extended to a top White House official as a "significant person of interest." Kushner is the only person currently in the White House known to be under investigation. Russia contacts At least four other former campaign aides or advisers have been reported to be under FBI scrutiny as well -- Flynn, former campaign manager Paul Manafort, sometime Trump adviser Roger Stone, and ex-campaign adviser Carter Page. The FBI investigation is now being overseen by Robert Mueller, a respected former FBI director who was given broad powers to pursue the case as a special counsel after Trump abruptly fired Comey on May 9. The key question before the FBI is whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in its effort to tilt the 2016 US election in the Republican's favour, which included a damaging hack of Democratic campaign emails. Trump has denied any collusion, calling the probe "the greatest witch hunt" in American political history. Former CIA director John Brennan revealed this week that intelligence chiefs had been looking into suspicious contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials since mid-2016. The Senate and House Intelligence Committees also are investigating, but not with an eye to bringing criminal charges. In early December, after Trump had won the elections, Kushner and Flynn met in New York with Kislyak. Kushner also met that month with Sergei Gorkov, chairman of VneshEconomBank, the state bank under US sanctions since July 2014. Both those meetings have since been publicly acknowledged by the White House, but Kushner initially failed to declare them on forms submitted to obtain a security clearance. His lawyer later said it was a mistake, telling the FBI that he would amend the forms. (AFP)

Jared Kushner sought secret communications line with Russia: Report

President Donald&nbsp;Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser, is under scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Russia probe, the Washington Post and NBC News reported on Thursday.

Kushner is being investigated because of his interactions with Russians, including the Russian ambassador and a banker from Moscow, the Post reported, citing people familiar with the investigation. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said.

Kushner is the only current White House official known to be considered a key person in the probe, the newspaper reported.

The FBI, several congressional committees and a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department are looking into allegations of meddling by Russia in the 2016 US&nbsp;election and possible ties between Trump&#39;s presidential campaign and Russian officials seeking to influence the election.

The controversy has engulfed Trump&#39;s administration since he fired FBI Director James Comey on May 10. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and Trump denies any collusion with Russia.

The interest in Kushner does not mean investigators suspect him of a crime or intend to charge him, the officials told NBC News. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said.

One of Kushner&#39;s attorneys, Jamie Gorelick, said in a statement her client would cooperate with the investigation.

&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Gorelick said. The FBI and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

&nbsp;

Critics have noted that when filling out his application for top secret security clearance Kushner failed to disclose numerous foreign contacts, including with at least two high-profile Russians during the lead up to Trump&#39;s entry into the White House, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/politics/jared-kushner-russians-security-clearance.html?_r=3" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.

This includes meeting the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, and also the head of a Russian&nbsp;state-owned bank, in a meeting organised by Kislyak.&nbsp;Concealing such contacts is a felony.

Kushner and his lawyers claimed the failure to mention these contacts&nbsp;was an innocent mistake that they corrected when it was made known.

Other people connected to&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;under federal investigation&nbsp;for their link to&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;include the former&nbsp;national security adviser Michael Flynn, and ex-campaign staff Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Roger Stone.

President Trump has dismissed allegations that he or his campaign had anything to do with Russia. On the Justice Department&#39;s decision to appoint a special prosecutor into the possible collusion between Trump and Russia, Trump said, &quot;I respect the move,&quot; but also distanced himself, saying &quot;the entire thing has been a witch hunt.&quot;

&nbsp;&quot;And there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign--but I can always speak for myself--and the Russians,&quot; he said.

&quot;Zero.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Kushner is at least the fifth person in Trump's administration, or on his election team, the FBI is looking at for alleged links to Russia

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser, is under scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Russia probe, the Washington Post and NBC News reported on Thursday. Kushner is being investigated because of his interactions with Russians, including the Russian ambassador and a banker from Moscow, the Post reported, citing people familiar with the investigation. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said. Kushner is the only current White House official known to be considered a key person in the probe, the newspaper reported. The FBI, several congressional committees and a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department are looking into allegations of meddling by Russia in the 2016 US election and possible ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russian officials seeking to influence the election. The controversy has engulfed Trump's administration since he fired FBI Director James Comey on May 10. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and Trump denies any collusion with Russia. The interest in Kushner does not mean investigators suspect him of a crime or intend to charge him, the officials told NBC News. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said. One of Kushner's attorneys, Jamie Gorelick, said in a statement her client would cooperate with the investigation. “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,” Gorelick said. The FBI and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Critics have noted that when filling out his application for top secret security clearance Kushner failed to disclose numerous foreign contacts, including with at least two high-profile Russians during the lead up to Trump's entry into the White House, reports the New York Times. This includes meeting the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, and also the head of a Russian state-owned bank, in a meeting organised by Kislyak. Concealing such contacts is a felony. Kushner and his lawyers claimed the failure to mention these contacts was an innocent mistake that they corrected when it was made known. Other people connected to Trump under federal investigation for their link to Russia include the former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and ex-campaign staff Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Roger Stone. President Trump has dismissed allegations that he or his campaign had anything to do with Russia. On the Justice Department's decision to appoint a special prosecutor into the possible collusion between Trump and Russia, Trump said, "I respect the move," but also distanced himself, saying "the entire thing has been a witch hunt." "And there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign--but I can always speak for myself--and the Russians," he said. "Zero." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump son-in-law Kushner under FBI investigation in Russia probe: Media reports

The sister of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner urged wealthy Chinese Sunday to buy stakes in real estate through a controversial programme that offers US residency in exchange for investment through the EB-5 visa programme.

Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing Saturday and in Shanghai Sunday, seeking more than $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey.&nbsp;

Jared Kushner, 36, is both a senior adviser and the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump with far-reaching influence over domestic and foreign policy. He stepped down from the family company in January to serve in the administration.

However, eyebrows have been raised as the Chinese investment sought by his family firm will be funnelled through the US EB-5 visa programme.

The EB-5 programme was created in 1990 to help stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment from foreign nationals, but detractors say it puts citizenship up for sale.&nbsp;

This offers foreigners permanent residency -- commonly known as a green card -- in exchange for investment of at least half a million dollars in a US business that must also create 10 American jobs.&nbsp;

Meyer told a crowd of more than 100 potential investors at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai that her grandfather had come to the US as a poor refugee, labouring as a carpenter before building up a real estate empire.&nbsp;

But they could fast-track the process by buying into the 1,476-unit complex in Jersey City, scheduled to break ground in early 2018.&nbsp;

The investment drive, hosted by Chinese government-approved immigration agency QWOS, has sought to highlight the project&#39;s connections to the &quot;famous&quot; clan, raising concern over potential conflicts of interest.&nbsp;

On Sunday Meyer was introduced in Chinese to investors as a representative of &quot;a famed celebrity investment family&quot;. &nbsp;

QWOS representatives courting potential investors on-site pointedly dropped the name of Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka, who is Jared Kushner&#39;s wife and a popular icon on the mainland.

Attendees were reassured by an American lawyer that despite his tough talk on immigration, Trump himself was a key decision-maker for EB-5 policy and was unlikely to make any changes to it in the near future -- making it a safe path to US residency.

But acting sooner was better than later since investment thresholds were likely to rise come autumn and regulations tighten, he warned. &nbsp;

The housing complex, known as &quot;One Journal Square&quot;, will include recreational facilities, child playrooms and a pet hospital, according to the QWOS website.&nbsp;

EB-5 investment from China will account for around 15 per cent of its total $976.4 million cost. &nbsp;

Sunday&#39;s presentations emphasised the complex&#39;s similarity to a Trump-branded luxury development a ten-minute drive away.&nbsp;

Those apartments were also developed by Kushner Companies, and about a quarter of the funding -- around $50 million -- was obtained via EB-5 investment, according to a report last year by Bloomberg News.&nbsp;

Most investors were Chinese and were brought in by QWOS, the company said.

Around a dozen clients had signed on for the new project after a Beijing event headed by Meyer the day before, QWOS representatives told AFP.&nbsp;

There, Nicole Kushner Meyer told investors that the project &quot;means a lot to me and my entire family&quot;, and mentioned her brother&#39;s former role as chief executive of Kushner Companies, the New York Times reported.&nbsp;

Photos of the meeting showed promotional posters bearing the slogan: &quot;Government supports it; Celebrity property developer builds it&quot;.

Journalists had been asked to leave the room in Beijing. In Shanghai, they were told they could not attend the &quot;private event&quot; even though it was publicly advertised. &nbsp;

Kushner Companies are also due to pitch for investment in the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou next weekend, according to the QWOS website.

Nearly 90 per cent of EB-5 visas were issued to Chinese nationals in 2014, when the programme reached its quota of 10,000 visas. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing seeking more than $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey

The sister of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner urged wealthy Chinese Sunday to buy stakes in real estate through a controversial programme that offers US residency in exchange for investment through the EB-5 visa programme. Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing Saturday and in Shanghai Sunday, seeking more than $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey. Jared Kushner, 36, is both a senior adviser and the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump with far-reaching influence over domestic and foreign policy. He stepped down from the family company in January to serve in the administration. However, eyebrows have been raised as the Chinese investment sought by his family firm will be funnelled through the US EB-5 visa programme. The EB-5 programme was created in 1990 to help stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment from foreign nationals, but detractors say it puts citizenship up for sale. This offers foreigners permanent residency -- commonly known as a green card -- in exchange for investment of at least half a million dollars in a US business that must also create 10 American jobs. Meyer told a crowd of more than 100 potential investors at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai that her grandfather had come to the US as a poor refugee, labouring as a carpenter before building up a real estate empire. But they could fast-track the process by buying into the 1,476-unit complex in Jersey City, scheduled to break ground in early 2018. The investment drive, hosted by Chinese government-approved immigration agency QWOS, has sought to highlight the project's connections to the "famous" clan, raising concern over potential conflicts of interest. On Sunday Meyer was introduced in Chinese to investors as a representative of "a famed celebrity investment family". QWOS representatives courting potential investors on-site pointedly dropped the name of Trump's daughter Ivanka, who is Jared Kushner's wife and a popular icon on the mainland. Attendees were reassured by an American lawyer that despite his tough talk on immigration, Trump himself was a key decision-maker for EB-5 policy and was unlikely to make any changes to it in the near future -- making it a safe path to US residency. But acting sooner was better than later since investment thresholds were likely to rise come autumn and regulations tighten, he warned. The housing complex, known as "One Journal Square", will include recreational facilities, child playrooms and a pet hospital, according to the QWOS website. EB-5 investment from China will account for around 15 per cent of its total $976.4 million cost. Sunday's presentations emphasised the complex's similarity to a Trump-branded luxury development a ten-minute drive away. Those apartments were also developed by Kushner Companies, and about a quarter of the funding -- around $50 million -- was obtained via EB-5 investment, according to a report last year by Bloomberg News. Most investors were Chinese and were brought in by QWOS, the company said. Around a dozen clients had signed on for the new project after a Beijing event headed by Meyer the day before, QWOS representatives told AFP. There, Nicole Kushner Meyer told investors that the project "means a lot to me and my entire family", and mentioned her brother's former role as chief executive of Kushner Companies, the New York Times reported. Photos of the meeting showed promotional posters bearing the slogan: "Government supports it; Celebrity property developer builds it". Journalists had been asked to leave the room in Beijing. In Shanghai, they were told they could not attend the "private event" even though it was publicly advertised. Kushner Companies are also due to pitch for investment in the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou next weekend, according to the QWOS website. Nearly 90 per cent of EB-5 visas were issued to Chinese nationals in 2014, when the programme reached its quota of 10,000 visas. (AFP)

Sister of Trump's son-in-law solicits Chinese investment in exchange of visas

A Russian bank under Western economic sanctions over Russia&#39;s incursion into Ukraine disclosed on Monday that its executives had met Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law and a top White House adviser, in December.

A US Senate committee investigating suspected Russian interference in the election wants to interview Trump associates, including Kushner, 36, who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka Trump and has agreed to testify.

Kushner previously acknowledged meeting the Russian ambassador to Washington last December and only on Monday did it emerge that executives of Russian state development bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) had talks with Kushner during a bank roadshow last year.

The bank said in an emailed statement that as part of its preparing a new strategy, its executives met representatives of financial institutes in Europe, Asia and America.

It said roadshow meetings took place &quot;with a number of representatives of the largest banks and business establishments of the United States, including Jared Kushner, the head of Kushner Companies.&quot; VEB declined to say where the meetings took place or the dates.

There was no immediate comment from Kushner.

Allegations by US intelligence agencies that Russian actors were behind hacking of senior Democratic Party operatives and spreading disinformation linger over Trump&#39;s young presidency.

Democrats charge the Russians wanted to tilt the election toward the Republican, a claim dismissed by Trump. Russia denies the allegations.

The&nbsp;FBI is currently investigating Russia&#39;s efforts to interfere in the US election, and whether or not the&nbsp;Trump campaign actively <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/us/politics/fbi-investigation-trump-russia-comey.html" target="_blank">worked </a>with&nbsp;Russia.

But there has been no doubt that the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, developed contacts among the Trump team. Trump&#39;s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was forced to resign on February&nbsp;13 after revelations that he had discussed US sanctions on Russia with Kislyak and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

US officials said that after meeting with Russian Kislyak at Trump Tower last December, a meeting also attended by Flynn, Kushner met later in December with Sergei Gorkov, chairman of Vnesheconombank.

White House spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed the meetings, saying nothing of consequence was discussed.

Gorkov was appointed head of VEB in early 2016 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He graduated from the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia&rsquo;s internal security agency.

He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Merit for Services to the Fatherland, according to the bank&#39;s website.

According to two congressional staffers, some Senate investigators want to question Kushner and Flynn about whether they discussed with Gorkov or other Russian officials or financial executives the possibility of investing in 666 Fifth Avenue in New York or other Kushner Co or Trump properties if the new administration lifted the sanctions.

VEB, aside from being under sanctions, has been grappling with bad debt after financing politically expedient projects such as construction for the Sochi Winter Olympics.

It received 150 billion roubles ($2.6 billion) in support from the Russian budget in 2016, when its senior management was sacked and replaced by a team of executives from Russia&#39;s biggest lender Sberbank .

In an article posted on December 18, Forbes estimated that Jared Kushner, his brother Josh and his parents, Charles and Seryl, have a fortune of at least $1.8 billion, more than half of which Forbes estimates is held in real estate.

Forbes did not provide a specific estimate for Jared Kushner&rsquo;s net worth on his own.

&nbsp;

Foreign contacts 
On Monday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that Kushner is willing to testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee chaired by US Senator Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican.

&ldquo;Throughout the campaign and the transition, Jared served as the official primary point of contact with foreign governments and officials...and so, given this role, he volunteered to speak with Chairman Burr&#39;s committee,&quot; Spicer told reporters at his daily briefing.

The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate panel also said Kushner had agreed to be interviewed but no date had yet been scheduled.

Simply meeting with representatives of a US-sanctioned entity is not a violation of sanctions or against the law.

Evgeny Buryakov, 41, a Russian citizen who worked at Vnesheconombank and whom US authorities accused of posing as a banker while participating in a New York spy ring, pleaded guilty to a criminal conspiracy charge on Friday.

Buryakov admitted in federal court in Manhattan to acting as an agent for the Russian government without notifying US authorities.

He was prosecuted by the office of the US attorney in Manhattan under Preet Bharara, who was among several chief prosecutors fired or asked to resign earlier this month by the new administration.

&nbsp;

Classified information

Also on Monday, a mystery rooted in Trump&#39;s claim that he was wiretapped by then President Barack Obama during the election campaign, deepened with the disclosure that a top congressional Republican reviewed classified information on the White House grounds about potential surveillance of some Trump campaign associates.

US Representative Devin Nunes, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, visited the White House the night before he announced on Wednesday that he had information that indicated some Trump associates may have been subjected to some level of intelligence activity before Trump took office on January &nbsp;20.

Democrats have said Nunes, who was a member of Trump&#39;s transition team, can no longer run a credible investigation of Russian hacking, the US election and any potential involvement by Trump associates. Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi last week called Nunes &quot;a willing stooge of Trump&quot;.&nbsp;

Nunes spokesman Jack Langer said in a statement that Nunes &quot;met with his source at the White House grounds in order to have proximity to a secure location where he could view the information provided by the source&quot;.

White House spokesman Spicer did not shed any light on who at the White House helped Nunes gain access to a secure location.

It was the latest twist in a saga that began on March 4 when Trump said on Twitter without providing evidence that he &quot;just found out that Obama had my &#39;wires tapped&#39; in Trump Tower just before the victory&quot;.

FBI Director <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-wiretapping-claims-no-evidence-james-comey-fbi-director-barack-obama-trump-tower-a7639766.html" target="_blank">James Comey</a> told Congress last Monday he had seen no evidence to support the claim, adding &quot;and we have looked carefully inside the FBI&quot;.

(Reuters)

A US Senate committee investigating suspected Russian interference in the election wants to interview Trump associates, including Kushner

A Russian bank under Western economic sanctions over Russia's incursion into Ukraine disclosed on Monday that its executives had met Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, in December. A US Senate committee investigating suspected Russian interference in the election wants to interview Trump associates, including Kushner, 36, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and has agreed to testify. Kushner previously acknowledged meeting the Russian ambassador to Washington last December and only on Monday did it emerge that executives of Russian state development bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) had talks with Kushner during a bank roadshow last year. The bank said in an emailed statement that as part of its preparing a new strategy, its executives met representatives of financial institutes in Europe, Asia and America. It said roadshow meetings took place "with a number of representatives of the largest banks and business establishments of the United States, including Jared Kushner, the head of Kushner Companies." VEB declined to say where the meetings took place or the dates. There was no immediate comment from Kushner. Allegations by US intelligence agencies that Russian actors were behind hacking of senior Democratic Party operatives and spreading disinformation linger over Trump's young presidency. Democrats charge the Russians wanted to tilt the election toward the Republican, a claim dismissed by Trump. Russia denies the allegations. The FBI is currently investigating Russia's efforts to interfere in the US election, and whether or not the Trump campaign actively worked with Russia. But there has been no doubt that the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, developed contacts among the Trump team. Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was forced to resign on February 13 after revelations that he had discussed US sanctions on Russia with Kislyak and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations. US officials said that after meeting with Russian Kislyak at Trump Tower last December, a meeting also attended by Flynn, Kushner met later in December with Sergei Gorkov, chairman of Vnesheconombank. White House spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed the meetings, saying nothing of consequence was discussed. Gorkov was appointed head of VEB in early 2016 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He graduated from the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia’s internal security agency. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Merit for Services to the Fatherland, according to the bank's website. According to two congressional staffers, some Senate investigators want to question Kushner and Flynn about whether they discussed with Gorkov or other Russian officials or financial executives the possibility of investing in 666 Fifth Avenue in New York or other Kushner Co or Trump properties if the new administration lifted the sanctions. VEB, aside from being under sanctions, has been grappling with bad debt after financing politically expedient projects such as construction for the Sochi Winter Olympics. It received 150 billion roubles ($2.6 billion) in support from the Russian budget in 2016, when its senior management was sacked and replaced by a team of executives from Russia's biggest lender Sberbank . In an article posted on December 18, Forbes estimated that Jared Kushner, his brother Josh and his parents, Charles and Seryl, have a fortune of at least $1.8 billion, more than half of which Forbes estimates is held in real estate. Forbes did not provide a specific estimate for Jared Kushner’s net worth on his own. Foreign contacts On Monday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that Kushner is willing to testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee chaired by US Senator Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican. “Throughout the campaign and the transition, Jared served as the official primary point of contact with foreign governments and officials...and so, given this role, he volunteered to speak with Chairman Burr's committee," Spicer told reporters at his daily briefing. The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate panel also said Kushner had agreed to be interviewed but no date had yet been scheduled. Simply meeting with representatives of a US-sanctioned entity is not a violation of sanctions or against the law. Evgeny Buryakov, 41, a Russian citizen who worked at Vnesheconombank and whom US authorities accused of posing as a banker while participating in a New York spy ring, pleaded guilty to a criminal conspiracy charge on Friday. Buryakov admitted in federal court in Manhattan to acting as an agent for the Russian government without notifying US authorities. He was prosecuted by the office of the US attorney in Manhattan under Preet Bharara, who was among several chief prosecutors fired or asked to resign earlier this month by the new administration. Classified information Also on Monday, a mystery rooted in Trump's claim that he was wiretapped by then President Barack Obama during the election campaign, deepened with the disclosure that a top congressional Republican reviewed classified information on the White House grounds about potential surveillance of some Trump campaign associates. US Representative Devin Nunes, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, visited the White House the night before he announced on Wednesday that he had information that indicated some Trump associates may have been subjected to some level of intelligence activity before Trump took office on January 20. Democrats have said Nunes, who was a member of Trump's transition team, can no longer run a credible investigation of Russian hacking, the US election and any potential involvement by Trump associates. Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi last week called Nunes "a willing stooge of Trump". Nunes spokesman Jack Langer said in a statement that Nunes "met with his source at the White House grounds in order to have proximity to a secure location where he could view the information provided by the source". White House spokesman Spicer did not shed any light on who at the White House helped Nunes gain access to a secure location. It was the latest twist in a saga that began on March 4 when Trump said on Twitter without providing evidence that he "just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory". FBI Director James Comey told Congress last Monday he had seen no evidence to support the claim, adding "and we have looked carefully inside the FBI". (Reuters)

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met executives of sanctioned Russian bank, will testify

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, already a White House senior adviser, will take on the additional task of overseeing an effort to overhaul the federal government, the White House said on Monday.

Kushner, who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka Trump, will lead a White House Office of American Innovation to leverage business ideas and potentially privatise some government functions as the White House pushes to shrink government, cut federal employees and eliminate regulations.

&quot;This office will bring together the best ideas from government, the private sector, and other thought leaders to ensure that America is ready to solve today&#39;s most intractable problems,&quot; Trump said in a memorandum creating the office that includes about a dozen White House officials.

Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to &quot;drain the swamp,&quot; has enacted a hiring freeze for most civilian federal jobs and proposed massive cuts in US&nbsp;domestic agencies that could shrink the size of government by thousands of workers

The Republican president has also proposed sweeping cuts in government regulations and plans to sign an order on Tuesday rolling back some energy regulations.

&quot;We have a lot more coming,&quot; he said on Monday at a ceremony signing bills to repeal four regulations, vowing to eliminate every &quot;job-killing regulation that we can find&quot;.

A number of recent presidents including Bill Clinton, George W&nbsp;Bush and Barack Obama had mixed success with their own initiatives to reinvent or streamline government using suggestions from the private sector.

Kushner has been a regular presence at his father-in-law&#39;s side and was earlier cleared by the Justice Department to serve as a White House senior adviser even as Democrats raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

He has been given a wide range of domestic and foreign policy responsibilities, including working on a Middle East peace deal. He will continue to serve in the other roles even as he takes up the new duties, the White House said.

Last week, Ivanka Trump received her own office in the White House along with access to classified information and a government-issued phone. Aides had said earlier she would not take on a role in her father&#39;s White House, as did Trump himself.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I am not trying to get &quot;top level security clearance&quot; for my children. This was a typically false news story.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798850338384023552">November 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The Washington Post quoted aides as saying she would collaborate with Kushner&#39;s innovation office but would not have an official role.

&nbsp;

TAKING ON WASHINGTON

Among past efforts to overhaul the way Washington works, Clinton in 1993 called for &quot;reinventing government.&quot; His reforms led to a slower pace of federal hiring, reducing the federal workforce by 240,000 jobs and closing small offices. Congress did not agree to some of the more aggressive cuts.

Bush proposed government management reforms, but ended up focussing largely on restructuring national security agencies after the September&nbsp;11, 2001, attacks, folding many agencies into the new Department of Homeland Security.

Obama in 2012 proposed closing the Commerce Department and creating a new export agency, saving $3 billion over 10 years and cutting 1,000 plus jobs. His plans failed to get congressional approval.

(Reuters)

The billionaire scion of a wealthy real estate company, Kushner has no experience in politics. He will oversee dramatic cuts

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, already a White House senior adviser, will take on the additional task of overseeing an effort to overhaul the federal government, the White House said on Monday. Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, will lead a White House Office of American Innovation to leverage business ideas and potentially privatise some government functions as the White House pushes to shrink government, cut federal employees and eliminate regulations. "This office will bring together the best ideas from government, the private sector, and other thought leaders to ensure that America is ready to solve today's most intractable problems," Trump said in a memorandum creating the office that includes about a dozen White House officials. Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to "drain the swamp," has enacted a hiring freeze for most civilian federal jobs and proposed massive cuts in US domestic agencies that could shrink the size of government by thousands of workers The Republican president has also proposed sweeping cuts in government regulations and plans to sign an order on Tuesday rolling back some energy regulations. "We have a lot more coming," he said on Monday at a ceremony signing bills to repeal four regulations, vowing to eliminate every "job-killing regulation that we can find". A number of recent presidents including Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama had mixed success with their own initiatives to reinvent or streamline government using suggestions from the private sector. Kushner has been a regular presence at his father-in-law's side and was earlier cleared by the Justice Department to serve as a White House senior adviser even as Democrats raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. He has been given a wide range of domestic and foreign policy responsibilities, including working on a Middle East peace deal. He will continue to serve in the other roles even as he takes up the new duties, the White House said. Last week, Ivanka Trump received her own office in the White House along with access to classified information and a government-issued phone. Aides had said earlier she would not take on a role in her father's White House, as did Trump himself. I am not trying to get "top level security clearance" for my children. This was a typically false news story. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016 × The Washington Post quoted aides as saying she would collaborate with Kushner's innovation office but would not have an official role. TAKING ON WASHINGTON Among past efforts to overhaul the way Washington works, Clinton in 1993 called for "reinventing government." His reforms led to a slower pace of federal hiring, reducing the federal workforce by 240,000 jobs and closing small offices. Congress did not agree to some of the more aggressive cuts. Bush proposed government management reforms, but ended up focussing largely on restructuring national security agencies after the September 11, 2001, attacks, folding many agencies into the new Department of Homeland Security. Obama in 2012 proposed closing the Commerce Department and creating a new export agency, saving $3 billion over 10 years and cutting 1,000 plus jobs. His plans failed to get congressional approval. (Reuters)

Trump's son-in-law to oversee government revamp

US President Donald Trump can hire his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior White House adviser without breaking federal anti-nepotism laws, the Department of Justice said.

In a letter dated January 20 posted on its website, the department&#39;s Office of Legal Counsel said the president has special hiring authority that exempts White House positions from laws barring the president from naming a relative to lead a federal agency.

The New York Times first reported the decision, saying it was posted to the department&#39;s site on Saturday.

Questions about Kushner&#39;s role emerged as voters and lawmakers questioned potential conflicts of interest for Trump, given his wide-ranging business interests, history of employing family members, and the influence of his daughter Ivanka Trump, who is married to Kushner.

The office of White House counsel had asked the Justice department for a definitive opinion on Kushner&#39;s role.

The Justice department said that if Trump chooses to officially hire Kushner and give him security clearance usually granted for White House staff, then conflict-of-interest laws would apply and Kushner would have to abide by their restrictions.

&quot;Congress has not blocked, and most likely could not block, the President from seeking advice from family members in their personal capacities,&quot; the department wrote in its 14-page opinion.

&quot;Consequently, even if the anti-nepotism statute prevented the President from employing relatives in the White House as advisors, he would remain free to consult those relatives as private citizens,&quot; it said.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

It says he will not be breaking federal anti-nepotism laws

US President Donald Trump can hire his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior White House adviser without breaking federal anti-nepotism laws, the Department of Justice said. In a letter dated January 20 posted on its website, the department's Office of Legal Counsel said the president has special hiring authority that exempts White House positions from laws barring the president from naming a relative to lead a federal agency. The New York Times first reported the decision, saying it was posted to the department's site on Saturday. Questions about Kushner's role emerged as voters and lawmakers questioned potential conflicts of interest for Trump, given his wide-ranging business interests, history of employing family members, and the influence of his daughter Ivanka Trump, who is married to Kushner. The office of White House counsel had asked the Justice department for a definitive opinion on Kushner's role. The Justice department said that if Trump chooses to officially hire Kushner and give him security clearance usually granted for White House staff, then conflict-of-interest laws would apply and Kushner would have to abide by their restrictions. "Congress has not blocked, and most likely could not block, the President from seeking advice from family members in their personal capacities," the department wrote in its 14-page opinion. "Consequently, even if the anti-nepotism statute prevented the President from employing relatives in the White House as advisors, he would remain free to consult those relatives as private citizens," it said. (Reuters)

Trump can hire son-in-law Kushner as White House adviser: Justice department

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump will make Jared Kushner his senior adviser, US media reported.&nbsp;The position, unlike Cabinet posts, does not require US&nbsp;Senate confirmation.

Kushner, 35, is married to Donald Trump&#39;s&nbsp;eldest daughter Ivanka, and like Trump&nbsp;is a New York-based real estate developer with business dealings that could lead to conflict of&nbsp;interest.&nbsp;

Kushner, who like Donald&nbsp;has no previous experience working in politics, has been instrumental in Trump&#39;s campaign during the presidential elections, playing a key role in advising him in matters of appointment and strategy. He was&nbsp;involved in almost every aspect of it, from personnel decisions to strategy and fundraising.

It remains to be ascertained how Kushner&#39;s appointment could affect the&nbsp;federal anti-nepotism law that prohibits a president from hiring relatives.&nbsp;Kushner will need to argue that the federal anti-nepotism laws, which prohibit&nbsp;any federal official from hiring family members to an agency or office which he or she leads,&nbsp;do not apply to him, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/09/jared-kushner-senior-adviser-donald-trump">The Guardian</a> reports.

The law has loopholes: Ethics experts say that Kushner could retain a technically unofficial rule, such as serving as&nbsp;&quot;consultant&quot;, and bypass the law, The Guardian reports.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s transition team has said that Kushner &quot;has chosen to forego his salary while serving in the administration&quot;. Forbes estimates that Kushner, along with his parents and adult brother, is worth an estimated $1.8 billion, PTI reports.

&nbsp;

Divesting?

Kushner&nbsp;and his wife will reportedly undertake significant divestments of their wide-ranging financial portfolios as they prepare for their move to Washington from New York and face inevitable questions about&nbsp;potential conflicts of interest. Kushner will resign from his positions as chief executive of the Kushner Companies and as publisher of the New York Observer newspaper and divest from any interests in the New York Observer, Thrive Capital, the 666 Fifth Avenue office building in midtown Manhattan and any foreign investments.

In addition, Kushner will recuse himself from participating in matters that could have a direct effect on his remaining financial interests. Those interests include real estate in the New York area, Ivanka Trump&#39;s interest in the new Trump hotel in Washington and the Ivanka Trump Brand fashion business, the officials said. Kushner will file a public financial disclosure form.

While those in his cabinet appear to be divesting themselves, Donald Trump, who owns at least&nbsp;<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/28/politics/trump-foreign-businesses/">144&nbsp;foreign companies in 25 different countries</a>, has never indicated that he will sell off his&nbsp;business interests before serving as president.&nbsp;Foreign diplomats&nbsp;are reportedly going out of their way to stay in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/2016/11/18/9da9c572-ad18-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html?utm_term=.2f13ec6258a0">Trump&#39;s hotel and buy his products</a>&nbsp;when they visit Washington, the Washington Post reports.&nbsp;

Trump&nbsp;has repeatedly failed to&nbsp;release his tax returns, a document that&nbsp;could potentially shed light on potential conflicts of interest, after promising to do so. Originally Trump said he would release them publicly except he was not allowed to because he was under audit.&nbsp;American tax collectors said he was under audit, but that he was free to release them. Trump&#39;s&nbsp;son said that his father would release his tax return, except&nbsp;doing so would subject them to public scrutiny.

Ivanka Trump, who like her husband has been a close adviser to the president-elect, will not take on an official role in her father&#39;s White House, but will reportedly focus on settling her family in Washington. While Donald Trump has claimed she will run his businesses and have no political role, Ivanka was pictured attending&nbsp;a meeting in Trump Towers with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and was also pictured at a meeting with American tech industry leaders, leading to doubts that there will be a meaningful separation between Trump&#39;s business interests and his role&nbsp;as public servant.

Trump has said he would transfer control of his business to his children, but he has given no details. Trump claimed in November via Twitter there would be a&nbsp;news conference in December on the topic, but&nbsp;it&nbsp;was cancelled. Trump is expected to take questions from reporters this week.

&nbsp;

&#39;We have the better argument&#39;

Jamie Gorelick, a New York lawyer who served as deputy attorney general for Democratic President Bill Clinton and helped advise Kushner, said his new post would not violate a 1967 anti-nepotism statute.

She said Congress in 1978 authorised the president to hire personnel for the White House office &quot;without regard&quot; to federal personnel laws like the anti-nepotism statute and that court rulings had determined the White House was not an &quot;agency&quot; under the anti-nepotism law.

&quot;I&#39;m not saying that there isn&#39;t an argument on the other side, and I respect the people who have made the argument on the other side. I just think we have the better argument,&quot; Gorelick said.

Richard Briffault, a government ethics expert at Columbia Law School, disagreed, saying: &quot;Given the fact that the president is specifically mentioned, you would think that someone that is working for the president would be covered&quot; by the anti-nepotism law.

Bill Clinton aroused controversy in 1993 when he named his wife, Hillary Clinton, to lead his healthcare reform drive. She lost the November&nbsp;8 election to Trump. After John F&nbsp;Kennedy was elected president in 1960, he chose his brother Robert as attorney general.

Late on Monday, a group of six Democrats on the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said they had written to the Justice Department and US&nbsp;Office of Government Ethics asking them to review concerns about nepotism and conflicts of interest arising from Kushner&#39;s appointment.

(With inputs from agencies)

Jared Kushner has no political experience whatsoever, and his family is worth $1.8 billion. Anti-nepotism lawyers are already at work

US President-elect Donald Trump will make Jared Kushner his senior adviser, US media reported. The position, unlike Cabinet posts, does not require US Senate confirmation. Kushner, 35, is married to Donald Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka, and like Trump is a New York-based real estate developer with business dealings that could lead to conflict of interest. Kushner, who like Donald has no previous experience working in politics, has been instrumental in Trump's campaign during the presidential elections, playing a key role in advising him in matters of appointment and strategy. He was involved in almost every aspect of it, from personnel decisions to strategy and fundraising. It remains to be ascertained how Kushner's appointment could affect the federal anti-nepotism law that prohibits a president from hiring relatives. Kushner will need to argue that the federal anti-nepotism laws, which prohibit any federal official from hiring family members to an agency or office which he or she leads, do not apply to him, The Guardian reports. The law has loopholes: Ethics experts say that Kushner could retain a technically unofficial rule, such as serving as "consultant", and bypass the law, The Guardian reports. Trump's transition team has said that Kushner "has chosen to forego his salary while serving in the administration". Forbes estimates that Kushner, along with his parents and adult brother, is worth an estimated $1.8 billion, PTI reports. Divesting? Kushner and his wife will reportedly undertake significant divestments of their wide-ranging financial portfolios as they prepare for their move to Washington from New York and face inevitable questions about potential conflicts of interest. Kushner will resign from his positions as chief executive of the Kushner Companies and as publisher of the New York Observer newspaper and divest from any interests in the New York Observer, Thrive Capital, the 666 Fifth Avenue office building in midtown Manhattan and any foreign investments. In addition, Kushner will recuse himself from participating in matters that could have a direct effect on his remaining financial interests. Those interests include real estate in the New York area, Ivanka Trump's interest in the new Trump hotel in Washington and the Ivanka Trump Brand fashion business, the officials said. Kushner will file a public financial disclosure form. While those in his cabinet appear to be divesting themselves, Donald Trump, who owns at least 144 foreign companies in 25 different countries, has never indicated that he will sell off his business interests before serving as president. Foreign diplomats are reportedly going out of their way to stay in Trump's hotel and buy his products when they visit Washington, the Washington Post reports. Trump has repeatedly failed to release his tax returns, a document that could potentially shed light on potential conflicts of interest, after promising to do so. Originally Trump said he would release them publicly except he was not allowed to because he was under audit. American tax collectors said he was under audit, but that he was free to release them. Trump's son said that his father would release his tax return, except doing so would subject them to public scrutiny. Ivanka Trump, who like her husband has been a close adviser to the president-elect, will not take on an official role in her father's White House, but will reportedly focus on settling her family in Washington. While Donald Trump has claimed she will run his businesses and have no political role, Ivanka was pictured attending a meeting in Trump Towers with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and was also pictured at a meeting with American tech industry leaders, leading to doubts that there will be a meaningful separation between Trump's business interests and his role as public servant. Trump has said he would transfer control of his business to his children, but he has given no details. Trump claimed in November via Twitter there would be a news conference in December on the topic, but it was cancelled. Trump is expected to take questions from reporters this week. 'We have the better argument' Jamie Gorelick, a New York lawyer who served as deputy attorney general for Democratic President Bill Clinton and helped advise Kushner, said his new post would not violate a 1967 anti-nepotism statute. She said Congress in 1978 authorised the president to hire personnel for the White House office "without regard" to federal personnel laws like the anti-nepotism statute and that court rulings had determined the White House was not an "agency" under the anti-nepotism law. "I'm not saying that there isn't an argument on the other side, and I respect the people who have made the argument on the other side. I just think we have the better argument," Gorelick said. Richard Briffault, a government ethics expert at Columbia Law School, disagreed, saying: "Given the fact that the president is specifically mentioned, you would think that someone that is working for the president would be covered" by the anti-nepotism law. Bill Clinton aroused controversy in 1993 when he named his wife, Hillary Clinton, to lead his healthcare reform drive. She lost the November 8 election to Trump. After John F Kennedy was elected president in 1960, he chose his brother Robert as attorney general. Late on Monday, a group of six Democrats on the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said they had written to the Justice Department and US Office of Government Ethics asking them to review concerns about nepotism and conflicts of interest arising from Kushner's appointment. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump to make son-in-law senior adviser

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