White House adviser says he met Russians four times, denies collusion

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July 24, 2017 2:01 PM

Kushner, who is married to Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka, will testify before the Senate intelligence committee on Monday.

Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner leave Air Force One in Rome on May 23, 2017

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner on Monday said he had four contacts with Russian officials but denied any collusion to help his father-in-law Donald Trump win the presidency, US media said.

In a statement Kushner released hours before he was to appear before the Senate intelligence committee, he described contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and other Russian officials as normal in his former role as the campaign liaison to foreign governments, the Washington Post said.

"I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner wrote.

"I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," he said, according to the Post report.

Kushner, who is married to Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka, will testify before the Senate intelligence committee on Monday, according to his lawyer, and the House panel on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old billionaire investor working at his first political position was to be asked about his meetings with Russia's ambassador to Washington, the head of a major Russian bank and a Russian lawyer -- the latter along with Trump's son Donald Jr.

Kushner plans to submit the 11-page statement for the record.

Special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller is leading an investigation into possible collusion. The House and Senate, however, have organized separate probes.

Sunday, White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said he hoped the appearances would be "the last time that he has to talk about Russia."

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