The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and a top White House adviser have come under FBI scrutiny in the Russia investigation. The investigators allege that Kushner has significant information relevant to their inquiry. However, that does not mean they intend to charge him or suspect him of a crime.
Kushner’s scrutiny places the FBI’s counterintelligence and criminal investigation not only on the doorstep of the White House but the Trump family circle. However, officials revealed that Kushner is in a different category from former Trump aides Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, who are formally considered subjects of the investigation.
The Justice Department's U.S. Attorneys' Manual, A 'subject' of an investigation is a person whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jury's investigation.
It’s not yet clear as to whether Kushner has received any records requests from federal investigators. It is also not clear as to what precisely has drawn the FBI's interest as it investigates whether Trump associates coordinated with the Russian campaign to interfere in the election.
The former FBI Director Robert Mueller is now leading the probe as a special counsel. Kushner met at least once in December with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, and he also met last year with a Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov. Kushner’s involvement was first reported by The Washington Post.
Kushner was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaign’s digital strategy. He remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.
Reports from Reuters have revealed that Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak last year, including two phone calls between April and November. In response, Kushner’s attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Reuters that Kushner “has no recollection of the calls as described.”
In other occurrences, President Trump is concluding his first international trip as a US president, during which he signed a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
Trump held talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders on resolving their conflicts, before meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican. He also took part in a G7 summit in Italy, where world leaders tried to persuade him to remain in a landmark climate change deal.
