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Kushner to Testify About Russian Ties Before the Senate Intelligence Committee

The committee plans to ask the president's son-in-law and close adviser about his meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Sergey Gorkov, a Russian bank exec.
Drew Schwartz
Brooklyn, US
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Senate Intelligence Committee is planning to question Jared Kushner, the president's close adviser and son-in-law, in connection with its ongoing probe into the Trump campaign's alleged ties with Russia, the New York Times reports.

Before joining the administration in January, Kushner served as an adviser to Trump during the 2016 campaign. During Trump's transition in December, Kushner arranged meetings with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, as well as Sergey N. Gorkov, the executive of the Russian bank Vnesheconombank.

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Kisylak is the same Russian official who's been linked to both former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Flynn ultimately stepped down after he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Kisylak, and Sessions decided to recuse himself from investigations into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential elections after disclosing his meeting with the ambassador.

According to White House spokeswoman Hope Hicks, Kushner has indicated he's more than willing to speak to the Senate committee about his meetings with the Russian ambassador, as he reportedly met with many foreign officials during his time on the campaign.

"He isn't trying to hide anything and wants to be transparent," Hicks told the Times. "There was nothing to get out in front of on this."

Kushner may be the first White House staffer who's agreed to be grilled on the Russia probe, but he's just the latest in a long line of Trump associates the Senate has called to testify on the issue. According to Business Insider, campaign associates Roger Stone, Carter Page, and JD Gordon have all been asked to testify in front of the Committee about any Russian contact, along with Sessions and Flynn.

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