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Kushner got emails about WikiLeaks and Russia

Posted at 3:40 PM, Nov 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-17 15:40:34-05

Senate judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dianne Feinstein sent a letter Thursday requesting more information on President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner related to his security clearance and questions over whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 election.

The two senators specifically requested “transcripts from other committee interviews, additional documents from previous requests, communications with (former national security adviser) Michael Flynn and documents related to his security clearance,” according to their statement.

Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and Feinstein, a California Democrat, sent a letter to Kushner’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, requesting he provide access to the transcripts from Kushner’s interviews with other congressional committees.

They wrote there are missing documents, such as emails to Kushner on WikiLeaks and a “Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite” that Kushner forwarded to another campaign official.

The two senators also requested all communications related to Flynn’s termination as national security adviser and any emails between the two that contain keywords such as “Clinton,” “WikiLeaks” and “Putin.”

Finally, the senators requested documents related to Kushner’s security clearance. They said the deadline to produce the documents is November 27.

Kushner’s attorney told CNN in a statement that Kushner has been “responsive” to all requests.

“We provided the judiciary committee with all relevant documents that had to do with Mr. Kushner’s calls, contacts or meetings with Russians during the campaign and transition, which was the request,” the statement said. “We also informed the committee we will be open to responding to any additional requests and that we will continue to work with White House counsel for any responsive documents from after the inauguration. We have been in a dialogue with the committee and will continue to do so as part of Mr. Kushner’s voluntary cooperation with relevant bipartisan inquiries.”

The spotlight on Kushner’s security clearance form has become a focus in the Russia investigation as congressional committees try to determine whether any inappropriate meetings or contacts occurred between Russian officials and Trump associates during the campaign season.

In a statement to Congress in July, Kushner downplayed the significance of those meetings, saying they occurred during the normal course of a campaign and transition period.

“With respect to my contacts with Russia or Russian representatives during the campaign, there were hardly any,” Kushner said.