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THE ACTIVITIES OF President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner have come under FBI scrutiny as part of the probe of Russian interference in last year’s presidential election, US media reported yesterday.
Although it is unclear whether Kushner is a main focus of the probe, he is under investigation for the “extent and nature” of his interaction with Russian officials, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
NBC News, citing unnamed US officials, also reported that the FBI is looking at Kushner but emphasized that although investigators believe he has “significant information relevant to their inquiry,” it does not mean they suspect him of a crime.
The news is sure to rankle Trump, who was in Italy for a Group of Seven summit, accompanied by his top aides including Kushner.
Kushner held meetings with the Russian ambassador to the United States and a banker from Moscow in December, the Post said.
The banker, Sergei Gorkov, is chairman of VneshEconomBank, a state bank under US sanctions since July 2014.
Kushner initially failed to declare the meetings on forms to obtain a security clearance to serve in the White House. His lawyer later said it was a mistake, telling the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he would amend the forms.
Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, is the only current White House official known to be considered a key figure in the probe, which is targeting other members of Trump’s campaign team.
“Mr Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings,” Jamie Gorelick, one of his attorneys, said in a statement.
He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry.
‘Witch hunt’?
The Post reported last week that the Russia investigation had been extended to a top White House official as a “significant person of interest.”
But NBC noted that Kushner was not considered to be in the same category as either former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort or sacked national security advisor Michael Flynn, who are considered “subjects” of the probe.
Investigators are looking into possible financial crimes in addition to possible collusion between the campaign and Russian officials, the paper reported on yesterday.
The probe is headed by former FBI director Robert Mueller, appointed special counsel with broad powers to investigate Russian election meddling and possible collusion with the Trump campaign after the president sacked FBI director James Comey, who was heading the investigation, earlier this month.
Comey’s firing, together with Trump’s reported repeated efforts to persuade senior politicians, justice and intelligence officials to help push back against the probe, have brought accusations that he is obstructing the investigation.
Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin, amid accusations from US intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a sweeping campaign to tilt the vote in the Republican’s favor.
The president last week declared himself the victim of the “greatest witch hunt” in American political history.
This week, former CIA director John Brennan revealed that intelligence chiefs had been looking into suspicious contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials since mid-2016.
President Trump will meet world leaders today at a G7 summit in Sicily.
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No one truly understands the heartbreak but the response of the community has been magnificent.
That special bond between this mother and daughter should be supported in every way possible.
It might help her if she decides to move away and make a new life with her baby, I can’t imagine how much it hurts to be in a place where they should be. Or help pay mortgage etc and not worry financially. No doubt she would give it back in a second to spend one more hour with them.
Ah she’s hardly going move anyway she still has lots family around , say that is very important
It’s heartwarming to see something positive coming from such an awful tragedy…..while nothing will take away their pain and grief hopefully it will at least give them one thing less to worry about for the moment
Money means nothing in a situation like this but fair play to all involved.
Of course not Shane but in the day’s and year’s ahead it will mean a lot. It would be nice for her to have no mortgage or rent to worry about, she’ll have enough to deal with. People want to help her and putting a few quid into an account for her is a way of doing it
It’s not about the money – it is a reflection on how many are/were willing to help you in your time of need. Collections were made by the local community for my own family tragedy and I often look back and cherish the memory that people were there to help. Fair play to all who donated. This story has affected people in all corners of the world- on the DM people from the UK and US were looking to donate also.
We cannot bring them back so this is just a way of sending support. Hard times ahead but hopefully this will help.
Love your surname Mary.
Ta Brian, it’s almost as good as your profile pic ;)
This is probably the worst tragedy I have ever heard of how is that women gonna cope with this when things settle down that’s the scary part
I know it’s too late for this poor family. I can’t stop thinking about them. Slipways at piers everywhere now should be gated off like in that photo so nothing like this can happen again. Very very sad and upsetting.
if ever a ‘go fund me’ was needed; this one is surely it
Glad to see people rallied around. The money won’t replace her family but it will cover their funerals and give her and her little girl some security for now. Such a terrible tragedy.
Woman
The headline says it could happen to anybody yet we don’t hear of people driving off slipways every day.
have your say