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Jared Kushner to be questioned over alleged Trump-Russia ties

March 28, 2017 | Expert Insights

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and aide, is being questioned by a US committee investigating alleged ties between the Trump team and Moscow. Kushner has volunteered to speak to the Senate Intelligence Committee. It is examining Russia's alleged interference in last year's election. Kushner also met the chief of Russian bank, Vnesheconombank (VEB) under Western sanctions as well as Russian ambassador

Russia denied the allegations and President Trump has branded the story "fake news". There are two congressional investigations into the issue, plus an FBI one.

Democratic lawmakers have been calling for Republican Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, to withdraw himself from all further investigations into possible links between the Trump team and Russia.

Jared Kushner

Jared Corey Kushner is an American real estate investor & developer, publisher, and senior advisor to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump. Together with Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, he forms Trump's leadership team. Kushner is said to be President Trump's most trusted advisor.

He was principal owner of the real estate holding and development company Kushner Companies and of Observer Media, publisher of the weekly, on-line New York Observer. On January 9, 2017, He was named as the Senior White House Adviser to Trump. As a result, Kushner resigned as CEO of his family's real estate company and as publisher of the Observer.

Trump’s son-in-law to lead US federal overhaul

President Donald Trump is expected to unveil a new unit aimed at overhauling the US federal bureaucracy, and headed by his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

It will have sweeping powers to reform government procedures. Kushner told that the "government should be run like a great American company". "Our hope is that we can achieve successes and efficiencies for our customers, who are the citizens".

Kushner discredited himself by secretly visiting the White House to review intelligence documents, before announcing he had information that Trump and his advisers may have been subjected to incidental surveillance during the election. The

The Senate committee wants to question Kushner about two meetings he allegedly arranged with senior Russians. Kushner has not invoked executive privilege, and will be testifying because his job with the campaign was to be a "conduit to leaders".

Assessment

The Russian story, given congressional inquiries and the ongoing FBI investigation, has the potential to be a ticking bomb within the Trump White House. He has been tasked with brokering Middle East peace, soothing Mexican and Canadian officials as Nafta is reopened for negotiation and handling Chinese diplomats puzzled by the new Washington regime. If Kushner is asked to testify before congressional committee on the matter, things could get heated very quickly.