Trump's son-in-law denies collusion with Russians

Lv Xiaohong China Plus Published: 2017-07-25 10:07:38
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White House senior adviser Jared Kushner speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017, after meeting behind closed doors with the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. [Photo: AP/Alex Brandon]

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017, after meeting behind closed doors with the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. [Photo: AP/Alex Brandon]

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, has denied that he colluded with Russians during the President's campaign. He also released an 11-page-statement prior to a closed-door hearing on Capitol Hill, giving more details of his encounters with Russians during the campaign.

Here is our Washington chief correspondent Xiaohong with the story.

After speaking to staff members of the Senate intelligence committee for more than 2 hours, Kushner made a brief public statement back at the White House, denying any collusion occurred during the election campaign last year.

"Let me be very clear, I did not collude with Russia nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so."

He went on to say that he had no improper contacts with the Russians, nor did he rely on Russian funds for his businesses.

Hours before the Senate intelligence committee hearing, Kushner released an 11-page statement, giving more details of his encounters with the Russians. It showed that he had four meetings with Russians, including two meetings with the Russian Ambassador to the U.S., one with a Russian lawyer and another time with a Russian banker.

During his second meeting with the Russian Ambassador last December, Kushner did bring up the issue of a secret line at the embassy to Kremlin. But the Russian Ambassador denied the existence of such a back channel.

And at the suggestion of the Russian Ambassador, Kushner met with a Russian banker who is an associate of President Putin and the head of a Russian bank that has been under U.S. sanction since 2014. Kushner said in his written statement that the two did not touch upon the U.S. sanctions or his businesses. Instead, they spoke of Putin's desire for better relations with the U.S.

Kushner is expected to appear before another closed-door hearing of the House intelligence committee on Tuesday.

He stressed that he has been fully transparent in providing all requested information.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.

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