Dominic a. Pinero/Planet Picks via Zuma
Written by Ned Parker and Jonathan Landai
WASHINGTON (Reuters)-US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and close advisor, Jared Kushner, had at least three communications that were not previously disclosed with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the current presidential campaign and then seven current and previous officials said Reuters.
Two of the sources said that these calls included two phone calls between April and November last year. By early this year, Kushner became the focus of an investigation into the FBI on whether there was any complicity between the Trump and Kremlin campaign, two other sources – one of which is current and a former law enforcement official.
The two sources said that Kushner drew the attention of the FBI investigators initially until last year, as they started checking the links of former national security adviser Michael Flynn with Russian officials.
The current law enforcement official said that while the FBI in Kushner’s contacts with Russia is not currently the goal of this investigation.
The new information about the calls, in addition to the other details revealed by Reuters, shed light on when and why Kushner attracted the attention of the FBI for the first time and showed that his contacts with his Russian envoy Sergei Kisliac were more comprehensive than the White House recognized.
NBC News said on Thursday that Kushner was undergoing the FBI, in the first sign that the investigation, which began last July, arrived at the president’s internal circle.
The FBI declined to comment, while the Russian embassy said it was a policy of not commenting on individual diplomatic communications. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
There were no multiple attempts to get a comment from Kushner or his representatives.
In March, the White House said that Kushner and Fallin met Kiselek at Trump Tower in December to create a “connection line”. Kislyak also attended a Trump campaign in Washington in April 2016 attended by Kushner. The White House did not recognize any other contacts between Kushner and Russian officials.
The background channel
Before the elections, Kisliac’s discussions with Kushner and Fallin focused on combating terrorism and improving US -Russian economic relations, six of the sources said. Former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia after seizing the Crimea and began supporting the separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
After the November 8 elections, Kushner and Fallin also discussed with Kislyak the idea of creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who could have exceeded diplomats and intelligence agencies, two sources said. Reuters could not determine how these discussions or when exactly occurred.
Reuters was the first to inform last week that a proposal to a back channel was discussed between Flynn and Kisseliak as Trump was ready to take office. The Washington Post was the first to inform on Friday that Kushner participated in that conversation.
Separately, there were at least 18 calls and unannounced emails between Trump’s colleagues and people associated with the Kremlin in the seven months before the presidential elections on November 8, including six calls with Kisliac, Reuters sources said earlier in this. Month. . Two people were familiar with these 18 calls that Flynn and Kushner were among Trump’s colleagues who spoke to the ambassador over the phone. Reuters previously reported that Flynn was only involved in these discussions.
Six of the sources said that there are multiple contacts between Kushner and Kisseliak, but they refused to provide details that exceed the phone calls between April and November and a post -election conversation about preparing a back channel. It is also not clear whether Kushner is participating with Kisliac alone or with Trump’s other assistants.
How Kushner was scrutinized
The FBI scrutiny in Kushner began when intelligence reports included Flynn’s contacts with the Russians, the signals of American citizens, whose names were revised due to American privacy laws. The current US law enforcement official said that this prompted the investigators to ask US intelligence agencies to reveal the names of the Americans.
The official said that Kushner was one of the names that were revealed, which prompted a closer look at the president’s son -in -law dealing with Kisliac and other Russians.
The current US law enforcement official said that the investigators of the FBI taught whether the Russians propose to Kushner or Trump’s other assistants that relaxing economic sanctions would allow Russian banks to provide funding for people with relations with Trump.
The head of the Russian state -owned VNESHECONBANK, Sergey Nikolavic Gorkov, a coach of his coach, Putin, met Kushner in Trump Tower in December. The bank is considered under the imposition of US sanctions and was involved in the 2015 spy case in which one of the CEOs in New York acknowledged and imprisoned.
The bank said in a statement in March that it met Kushner with other representatives of American banks and business as part of the preparation of a new strategy for companies.
Intelligence officials on communications between the Russians and Trump consultants said they have not yet seen evidence of any violations or complicity between the Trump camp and the Kremlin. Moreover, they said, nothing has been found yet until Trump has authorized, or even familiar with contacts.
There may be nothing inappropriate about communications, as the current law enforcement official confirmed.
In March, Kushner offered an interview with the Senate Intelligence Committee, which was also investigated in Russia’s attempts to interfere in elections last year.
Communications coincided between the Trump campaign partners and Russian officials during the presidential campaign with the conclusion of the American intelligence agencies, the Kremlin’s effort was by penetrating the computer and fake news and advertising to enhance Trump’s chances of winning the White House and damage his democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.
(Participated in the reports of Ned Parker and Jonathan Landy; additional reports for John Walcott, Warren Strubil and Pellet Stewart in Washington; edited by Kevin Croloki and Ross Colvin)