WASHINGTON - Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top White House advisor Jared Kushner forcefully denied colluding with Moscow to sway the 2016 election Monday, insisting a string of undisclosed meetings with Russian officials were “proper.”
“Let me be very clear - I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so,” Kushner said after giving testimony to a Congressional inquiry.
The normally camera-shy aide said contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, a financier and a lawyer - who offered dirt on his father-in-law’s campaign rival Hillary Clinton - were above board.
“The record and documents I have voluntarily provided will show that all of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign.”
Kushner spent more than two hours appearing before senators who are probing Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Both Houses of Congress and the Justice Department are investigating whether Trump campaign officials colluded in that effort, which the CIA believes was ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
The sprawling probe has plagued the White House since Trump took office, with many influential members of his team having failed to report their contacts with Russian officials.
Speaking on his return to the White House - where he is a senior advisor to the president - Kushner said he has not “relied” on Russian funds for his business.
He also went on the offensive, echoing Trump’s claim that the investigations are an effort by Democrats to explain away a shock election loss.
“Donald Trump had a better message and ran a smarter campaign, and that is why he won,” Kushner, a former campaign aide, said.
The statement was the first time the reticent Kushner - who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka - publicly explained his contacts with Russian officials. He is scheduled to appear before a House panel on Tuesday.
Special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller is leading a broad investigation into possible collusion. The House and Senate, however, have organized separate probes.
The 36-year-old Kushner has faced scrutiny for not disclosing meetings and for taking part in a meeting with Kremlin-connected Russians along with Trump’s son Donald Jr.
In an 11-page written statement, Kushner said the June 2016 meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya - which Donald Jr had taken hoping to get incriminating information on Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton - was a “waste of time.”
Kushner also acknowledged a brief meeting with Kislyak in April 2016 - when Trump himself also briefly met the ambassador - and another during his father-in-law’s transition.
That second meeting was also attended by Michael Flynn, who became Trump’s national security adviser but was quickly ousted over his contacts with the Russian ambassador.
Trump intensifies criticism
of own attorney general
Trump appeared increasingly angry with his Attorney General Jeff Sessions as the investigation into possible Trump-Russia collusion quickens.
The president took to Twitter to declare his top lawyer “beleaguered,” raising speculation the president may be preparing the ground to replace him.
Donald Trump Jr and Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign director, are currently negotiating with the Senate Judiciary Committee about when they will appear to give their version of events.
“So why aren’t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?” Trump asked.
US presidents normally avoid being seen as influential on ongoing or possible investigations at all costs. But it is Trump’s comments about his erstwhile friend that have raised eyebrows.
Trump has expressed increasing anger with Sessions as his Justice Department’s investigations into possible Trump-Russia collusion has quickened.
Last week, Trump publicly upbraided Sessions for stepping back from issues related to the probe.
Sessions recused himself because of his role on Trump’s campaign and previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador in Washington.
Trump said he would never have hired Sessions had he known of his recusal before.
“I think is very unfair to the president,” Trump said. “It’s extremely unfair, and that’s a mild word, to the president.”
Sessions said he had no plans to resign.
That increasingly appears problematic for Trump, as he struggles to influence an investigation that has ensnared his eldest son, son-in-law and top aides.
In May, Trump fired FBI director James Comey over the bureau’s investigation into Russia.
That led to the appointment of high-powered special prosecutor Robert Mueller.
Shortly after Trump’s tweet website Axios reported that Trump was considering replacing Sessions with another early supporter, Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor.
If he were confirmed by Congress, that appointment could open the door to Trump firing the special prosecutor or having an attorney general who can directly influence the investigation.
AFP