United States

Jared Kushner Under FBI Scrutiny in Russia Probe, Officials Tell NBC News

What to Know

  • Jared Kushner is a senior adviser to President Trump; he is also the president's son-in-law
  • The FBI believes Kushner has significant information relevant to the investigation of Trump's ties to Russia
  • Although Kushner is under FBI scrutiny, he is not a subject of the investigation, like former advisors Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort

Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, has come under FBI scrutiny in the Russia investigation, multiple U.S. officials told NBC News.

Investigators believe Kushner has significant information relevant to their inquiry, officials said. That does not mean they suspect him of a crime or intend to charge him, NBC News reported. 

The FBI’s scrutiny of Kushner places the bureau’s sprawling counterintelligence and criminal investigation inside the Trump family circle. 

Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump are among the president's closest confidants and they have both assumed substantial roles in the White House; Ivanka Trump is an unpaid assistant to the president and Kushner is a senior adviser. 

Although Kushner has met with with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Russian banker Sergey Gorkov, it's unclear exactly why he has drawn the interest of the FBI. 

Just last week, U.S. officials told NBC News that the activities of an unnamed current White House official were under investigation as the FBI probes President Trump's ties to Russia and Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. 

"As the President has stated before — a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity," White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in response to a story published by The Washington Post. 

The news about Kushner comes as subpoenas for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn continue to pile up. The House intelligence committee pressured Flynn to cooperate with its investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. 

The U.S. officials told NBC News that Kushner is in a different category than Flynn and former Trump aide Paul Manafort, who are formally considered subjects of the investigation. Although Kushner is under FBI scrutiny, he is not considered to be a subject of the investigation. 

Grand jury subpoenas have demanded records of both Flynn and Manafort.

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller was chosen to lead the investigation as a special counsel after President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. 

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