Jared Kushner failed to disclose meetings with two high-level Russians

(Image credit: Dominique A. Pineiro/DoD via Getty Images)

published 7 April 2017

President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner failed to note his meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and the head of a Russian state-owned bank in his paperwork to gain top-secret security clearance, The New York Times reported late Thursday, amid mounting questions about the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. The questionnaire required Kushner to list all meetings and contacts with foreign government officials within the last seven years; he met with Kislyak in December.

Kushner's lawyer claimed that Kushner's failure to list "dozens of contacts with foreign leaders or officials in recent months" was an "error," The New York Times reported. Though the form "warns that 'withholding, misrepresenting, or falsifying information' could result in loss of access to classified information, denial of eligibility for a sensitive job, and even prosecution," the Times noted that "clearance holders are often allowed to amend disclosure forms and avoid punishment if omissions are deemed oversights rather than deliberate falsifications."

After learning of his omissions, Kushner reportedly told the FBI he would "be happy to provide additional information about these contacts," and would compile the material. For now, Kushner has a temporary security clearance while his paperwork is processed.