Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner now a focus in Russia investigation
Matt Zapotosky, Sari Horwitz, Devlin Barrett, Adam EntousInvestigators are focusing on a series of meetings held by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and an influential White House adviser, as part of their probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and related matters, people familiar with the investigation say.
Kushner, who held meetings in December with the Russian ambassador and a banker from Moscow, is being investigated because of the extent and nature of his interactions with the Russians, the people said.
The Washington Post reported last week that a senior White House official close to the President was a significant focus of the high-stakes investigation, although it did not name Kushner.
FBI agents also remain keenly interested in former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, but Kushner is the only current White House official known to be considered a key person in the probe.
The Post has not been told that Kushner is a "target" - or the central focus - of the investigation, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
"Target" is a word that generally refers to someone who is the main suspect of investigators' attention, although prosecutors can and do bring charges against people who are not marked with that distinction.
"Mr Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry," Jamie Gorelick, one of his attorneys, said.
In addition to possible co-ordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election, investigators are also looking broadly into possible financial crimes. However, the people familiar with the matter, who were not authorised to speak publicly, did not specify who or what was being examined.
Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said, "I can't confirm or deny the existence or non-existence of investigations or subjects of investigations."
The FBI declined to comment.