white house drama
Report: Trump's legal team recommended Kushner step down as senior adviser over Russia
Back in June, members of President Trump's legal team were worried about his son-in-law Jared Kushner having had several known meetings with Russians, and suggested he resign from his role as senior adviser, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump didn't think Kushner did anything wrong, and even though Kushner was being scrutinized as part of the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, he saw no need for his son-in-law to step down, the Journal said. It's unclear which attorneys made the recommendation that Kushner resign, but former lead attorney Marc Kasowitz told the Journal he never discussed this and was not aware of any other attorney thinking this way. The lawyers' press aides reportedly had talking points ready to explain Kushner's departure.
Kushner had at least four known meetings with Kremlin-linked Russians prior to Trump's inauguration, including one in June 2016 at Trump Tower, also attended by his brother-in-law Donald Trump Jr. and Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, after Trump Jr. had been promised compromising information on Hillary Clinton. Kushner has denied colluding with any Russians in an attempt to sway the 2016 presidential election in favor of his father-in-law.