Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, has
come under FBI scrutiny in the Russia investigation, multiple U.S. officials
told NBC News.
Investigators believe Kushner has significant information relevant to their
inquiry, officials said. That does not mean they suspect him of a crime or
intend to charge him.
The FBI's scrutiny of Kushner places the bureau's sprawling
counterintelligence and criminal investigation not only on the doorstep of the
White House, but on the cusp of the Trump family circle. The Washington Post
first reported last week that a senior White House official close to Trump was a
"person of interest," but did not name the person. The term "person of interest"
has no legal meaning.
The officials said Kushner is in a different category from former Trump aides
Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, who are formally considered subjects of the
investigation. Records of both Manafort and Flynn have been demanded by grand
jury subpoenas, NBC News has reported.
RIt is not known whether Kushner has received any records requests from
federal investigators.
Also unclear is what precisely about Kushner's activities has drawn the FBI's
interest as it investigates whether Trump associates coordinated with the
Russian campaign to interfere in the election. Former FBI Director Robert
Mueller is now leading the probe as a special counsel.
Kushner met at least once in December with the Russian ambassador, Sergey
Kislyak, and he also met last year with a Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov.
"Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows
about these meetings," Kushner's lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, told NBC News. "He will
do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry.
Congressional aides have said they would like to question Kushner about that
meeting, and Kushner has said he would voluntarily appear before the Senate
intelligence committee as part of its Russia investigation.
Gorkov is chairman of VneshEconomBank, a Russian government-owned institution
that has been under U.S. sanctions since July 2014. Gorkov studied at the
training school for the FSB, one of Russia's intelligence services.
Kushner, whose family's real estate empire is worth $1.8 billion, according
to Forbes, wields significant power in the White House. His is married to
Trump's daughter, Ivanka.
Source: NBC News
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