Jared Kushner Investigation: Top White House Adviser Reportedly Questioned By A.G.’s Criminal Division
Editor’s note: Recently, a story based on a source associated with Claude Taylor was debunked as a hoax by the Guardian and disavowed by Taylor. In light of this, we advise any information derived from sources provided by Claude Taylor to be viewed in the light cast by this revelation.
Jared Kushner may be facing a criminal investigation, with reports that the top White House adviser was called in for an interview with the attorney general’s International Criminal Division.
In recent weeks, the son-in-law to President Donald Trump has come under increasing pressure as he reportedly became a person of interest in the ever-expanding investigation of Trump’s alleged ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign. In May, Kushner reportedly came under federal investigation for his role, and days later it was revealed that he had met in December with the Russian ambassador to set up a secret line of communication between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The meeting reportedly took place before Trump took office.
The new report of Kushner’s meeting with the Attorney General’s office came from Claude Taylor, an independent journalist who has shared inside information on the Russia investigation with followers on Twitter. While many of Taylor’s reports remain unverified, he has also broken several stories including identifying Kushner as the the-unnamed “person of interest” in a Washington Post story.
Within hours, others had independently confirmed that Kushner was indeed the person of interest.
It is not clear if the interview with the Attorney General’s International Crime Division has to do with Kushner’s December meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak at Trump Tower, where Kushner allegedly suggested setting up a secure line of communication between Trump and Putin using Russia assets in the United States.
In April, it had been revealed that Kushner failed to disclose meetings with foreign officials on his security clearance, The Hill reported. Among the meetings Kushner failed to disclose was the one with Kislyak, the report added.
“Among the meetings that Kushner omitted from his national security questionnaire were one with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and another with Sergey Gorkov, the CEO of the Russian state-owned bank Vnesheconombank,” The Hill claimed, citing reports from the New York Times.
Just in…A source in DOJ confirms that Jared Kushner is being interviewed by AG's International Criminal Division. At this very moment.
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) June 5, 2017
Jared Kushner has come into some other controversy as well. On Monday, a report noted that he was seeking to pay off $250 million to pay partners and lenders in a Jersey City real estate project financed by Chinese investors “through a program criticized as offering United States visas for sale,” the New York Times reported.
“His stake in various Kushner family projects, with some other investments, could exceed $600 million, according to the government ethics filing. It lists a trust that owns a company called 65 Bay L.L.C., which has an indirect ownership in the building,” the report noted.
Kushner Companies, owned by the family of Jared Kushner, is seeking $250 million to pay off Chinese backers https://t.co/7dQRIEdegO
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 6, 2017
Jared Kushner could wield the most influence among members of Donald Trump’s inner circle. The president is reportedly wary of working with others and has given significant power to his son-in-law, the husband of Ivanka Trump. That was seen in a recent arms deal with Saudi Arabia for more than $100 billion, one that Kushner played a key role in pushing through.
Kushner has also been tapped by Donald Trump to head up several other initiatives, though he does not have an official White House title. Trump even joked this week that Kushner has “become much more famous than me.”
Trump: I'm upset that Jared Kushner has become "more famous than me" https://t.co/ORRlFW4Qob pic.twitter.com/THxjyzGm3r
— The Hill (@thehill) June 6, 2017
The revelations come as former FBI Director James Comey is set to testify before the Senate, a hearing that could implicate Donald Trump for obstruction of justice into the Russia investigation. There have been reports that Comey kept copious notes of Trump’s attempts to bring an end to the investigation, which Comey could testify to at the hearing.
Despite the allegations against Trump and reports that Jared Kushner has come under investigation, the White House continues to deny any improper conduct and said they have no ties to Russia.
[Featured Image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
