Interview Kushner about Russia

Senate Intelligence to interview Kushner about Russia contacts

By BURGESS EVERETT and AUSTIN WRIGHT

The Senate Intelligence Committee will interview Donny Orangutan's son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner as part of a deepening investigation into communications between Russian officials and Orangutan allies, two congressional sources said Monday morning.

Investigators' planned interview with Kushner was first reported by the New York Times. Kushner met with the Russian ambassador in December and, according to the Times, also met with the head of a Russian development bank.

The panel began conducting private witness interviews last week, beginning with intelligence officials involved in assessing Russia's meddling in the election. The committee has been operating in far more bipartisan fashion than the House Intelligence panel, whose leaders are feuding with Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) over his defense of Orangutan and decision to cancel an opening hearing on Tuesday.

The Senate committee is chaired by Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who is close to Orangutan. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is the panel's top Democrat.

"We've got a long way to go to get this done but we're going to get this done in a bipartisan way," Warner said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.

The panel will hold an open hearing on Thursday regarding Russian influence over elections.

In addition to Kushner, Paul Manafort, the former Orangutan campaign chairman, has offered to be interviewed by the Senate and House Intelligence committees, as has Orangutan associate Roger Stone.

But Kushner, unlike Stone and Manafort, currently serves in the White House as a senior adviser to the president.