Monday, July 24, 2017

Jared Kushner releases statement hoping to put an end to questions about Russian contacts. Fat chance.

The entire statement can be read here at CNN.

In it Kushner calls into question news reports of contacts he had with the Russian ambassador, which he claims he cannot remember and has no records of ever making.

Kushner also claims that of course he had multiple contacts with representatives of foreign governments during the campaign since that was the job assigned to him by his father-in-law: 

My father-in-law asked me to be a point of contact with these foreign countries. These were not contacts that I initiated, but, over the course of the campaign, I had incoming contacts with people from approximately 15 countries. To put these requests in context, I must have received thousands of calls, letters and emails from people looking to talk or meet on a variety of issues and topics, including hundreds from outside the United States. While I could not be responsive to everyone, I tried to be respectful of any foreign government contacts with whom it would be important to maintain an ongoing, productive working relationship were the candidate to prevail. To that end, I called on a variety of people with deep experience, such as Dr. Henry Kissinger, for advice on policy for the candidate, which countries/representatives with which the campaign should engage, and what messaging would resonate. In addition, it was typical for me to receive 200 or more emails a day during the campaign. I did not have the time to read every one, especially long emails from unknown senders or email chains to which I was added at some later point in the exchange.

Kushner also claims that when he submitted his initial paperwork for his security clearance that it was submitted prematurely by his assistant and did not include his contacts with ANYBODY from a foreign government, not just the Russians.

He further denies working to establish a back channel to communicate with the Russians, and claims that was a misrepresentation of a meeting he had with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. (At least this is one contact he admits to.)

As for that infamous meeting with Junior and the Russian attorney, this is how Kushner characterized it:

In June 2016, my brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr. asked if I was free to stop by a meeting on June 9 at 3:00 p.m. The campaign was headquartered in the same building as his office in Trump Tower, and it was common for each of us to swing by the other's meetings when requested. He eventually sent me his own email changing the time of the meeting to 4:00 p.m. That email was on top of a long back and forth that I did not read at the time. As I did with most emails when I was working remotely, I quickly reviewed on my iPhone the relevant message that the meeting would occur at 4:00 PM at his office. Documents confirm my memory that this was calendared as "Meeting: Don Jr.| Jared Kushner." No one else was mentioned.

So essentially Kushner's claim is that he and Junior invited each other to meetings all of the time, and that he did not know what this was about, and did not read the top of the email with said  "Russia-Clinton-private and confidential."

Uh huh.

Kushner then claims that the Russian attorney started talking about "adoptions," which we now know is code for "sanctions," and that he was uninterested and secretly emailed his secretary to call his cell phone in order to give him an excuse to leave the meeting early.

He then forgot all about this meeting until he was reminded about it by his attorneys.

One interesting side note is that Kushner claims that he received an email from someone referring to themselves as "Guccifer400" who claimed to have Trump's tax returns and tried to blackmail him into paying 52 bitcoins.

Kushner characterized this as a hoax. 

At the end of the statement Kushner writes:

I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government. I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. I have tried to be fully transparent with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form, above and beyond what is required. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest. 

Actually I seriously doubt this puts anything to rest. And I would suggest that once the various investigative bodies get a look at some of this Kushner paperwork they will have even more questions for him to answer.

Also keep in mind that Mr. Transparent is refusing to testify to any of this under oath.

Even though doing so is typically how people with nothing to hide, prove they have nothing to hide.

41 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:36 AM

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/24/jared-kushner-new-york-russia-money-laundering?CMP=twt_gu

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:41 AM

    Whatever you do not implicate the orange guy. He's in enough trouble as it is.
    - You know who

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:43 AM

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/kushner-bought-nyc-real-estate-through-soviet-born-king-of-diamonds-cited-in-money-laundering-case/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:55 AM

      MUST READ

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:36 PM

      Laugh. Oh boy. It started more than a century ago.
      Ask Russia what 400 billion is worth 100 years later?
      Ask them how's that going to work out now? Law says assets stay in USA, and they go home. Gosh, I guess Russia should have stayed home and fought. Not be a coward, and run like a little bitch with your tail between your legs.
      Wilson had yellow money fever, and now USA is going to pay for that, with interest. Shrug.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous8:43 AM

    That must have been written by his team of lawyers. Do you think that will end his part in the investigation? Did his lawyers clear him?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:49 AM

    Hey, Kush! Don't you mean "brother-Outlaw?"

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8:50 AM

    ‘Either incompetence — or Russia has a lot of influence’: Ex-FBI agent troubled by Kushner statement
    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/either-incompetence-or-russia-has-a-lot-of-influence-ex-fbi-agent-troubled-by-kushner-statement/

    The 11-page statement raises as many questions as it answers.
    “Look at the leverage that Russia has on us, I mean, both in terms of this and if you go back to the G20, we’re now going to leave Russian account of versions of meetings and contacts, and they seem more reliable than our country. That puts us in a dangerous position. When you look through this, it’s either incompetence or they have a lot influence over this administration.” former FBI special agent Clint Watts said.

    MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt faulted Kushner for trying to explain away his contacts with Russians as essentially rookie mistakes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous8:58 AM

    dRUMPf" didn’t answer, but told the interns: “They’re not supposed to do that.” "“Be quiet,”

    bitch mcCONnell "plans to hold a “motion to proceed” vote on an Obamacare repeal bill on Tuesday "

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-snaps-at-associated-press-reporter-obamacare-repeal-effort

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous9:02 AM

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/corey-lewandowski-fake-news-trump-pardon

    “ALL agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon.”"“I’m in the Oval Office with the President last week,” Scaramucci said. “We’re talking about that, he says HE brought that up.”

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous9:05 AM

    Is Trump trying to force Jeff Sessions out so a new AG can squelch the Russia investigation?

    A new attorney general would not necessarily recuse himself or herself, as Sessions has.

    https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/24/16019636/trump-jeff-sessions-beleaguered-tweet

    “Rexit”

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/rex-tillerson-could-quit-trump-admin-before-year-end/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous9:09 AM

    CNN analyst rips Kushner’s statement to shreds: He’s going to solve the Middle East but can’t fill out forms

    ...“It’s interesting that this statement is sort of designed to exonerate Jared Kushner, it doesn’t say much about the rest of the campaign,” replied Susan Hennessey of Lawfare, a legal analyst for CNN. “It certainly is sort of notable he’s covering himself but isn’t really talking much about the rest of the campaign. That’s certainly significant.”

    “Another thing that’s significant here is that we’ve been told that Jared Kushner is going to solve Middle East peace,” she continued, “he is going to run the U.S. government’s China policy, he is actually going to restructure the entire U.S. federal government — when it comes to the ability to fill out forms, keep track of meetings, exercise good judgment in whether or not he should be meeting with these types of officials during the transition period, it’s all of a sudden ‘aww shucks, I’m brand new to politics.’ That’s the message that comes through loud and clear, him saying I didn’t know what I was doing. Anything that was untoward it was just an innocent mistake.”

    Watch video below:

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/cnn-analyst-rips-kushners-statement-to-shreds-hes-going-to-solve-the-middle-east-but-cant-fill-out-forms/

    You can sense his fear in every terrified tweet’: Joe Scarborough says Trump knows he’s done for

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/you-can-sense-his-fear-in-every-terrified-tweet-joe-scarborough-says-trump-knows-hes-done-for/

    Kushner bought NYC real estate through Soviet-born ‘king of diamonds’ cited in money laundering case

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/kushner-bought-nyc-real-estate-through-soviet-born-king-of-diamonds-cited-in-money-laundering-case/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous9:09 AM

    If this is the best his lawyers could come up with he needs new representation.The fact he refuses to testify under oath screams guilt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:34 PM

      Don't sweat the "oath" thing. Oath or not, if he lies to a congressional inquiry he's toast. That's considered a felony in itself.
      Look it up.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous9:22 AM

    Jared Kushner tried to save himself from the Russia scandal by blaming everything related to the meeting with Russians on Donald Trump Jr.

    ...The family strategy looks like since Trump Jr. isn’t in the administration. They are going to try to pin everything on him. In other words, Fredo Trump is going to take the fall for the family. Jared Kushner’s defense is that he didn’t know anything about any Russians, which isn’t likely to hold up depending on what evidence the FBI and Congressional investigators have, but the Trump and Kushner have put up a wall of denial, which won’t hold up long as the Russia scandal isn’t going away.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/07/24/trump-family-crumbles-kushner-save-blaming-russia-meeting-trump-jr.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous9:24 AM

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

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/07/24/trump-son-in-law-kushner-denies-russia-collusion-president-lashes.html

    Jared Kushner sealed real estate deal with oligarch's firm cited in money-laundering case

    Donald Trump’s son-in-law bought part of old New York Times building from Soviet-born tycoon, Guardian investigation into Russian money in NYC property market finds

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/24/jared-kushner-new-york-russia-money-laundering?CMP=twt_gu

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:25 AM

    Don’t be shocked if Putin leaks dirt on Ivanka next, in one last ditch effort to motivate Trump to find a way to preempt that sanctions vote.

    http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/donald-trump-has-failed-and-vladimir-putin-may-go-after-ivanka-next/4027/

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous9:52 AM

    Kushner excuse is that he was oh so busy, and couldn't possibly remember all those pesky emails, phone calls, or meetings. In the next breath, he says he was asked by Yrump jr. to attend a meeting he knew nothing about, cleared his busy calendar st 3:00, and when the meeting was changed to 4:00, he was totally able to still attend that meeting?? Sounds to me like he knew it was a. Eye important meeting, and MADE THE TIME to attend it. Lying little weasel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:26 PM

      Yes, obvious lying little weasel.

      Delete
  16. Anonymous10:02 AM

    We do not believe him.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous10:30 AM

    Kushy needs to try the stoopid and confused defense.



    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/24/jared-kushner-new-york-russia-money-laundering

    "A Guardian investigation has established a series of overlapping ties and relationships involving alleged Russian money laundering, New York real estate deals and members of Trump’s inner circle. They include a 2015 sale of part of the old New York Times building in Manhattan involving Kushner and a billionaire real estate tycoon and diamond mogul, Lev Leviev.

    The ties between Trump family real estate deals and Russian money interests are attracting growing interest from the justice department’s special counsel, Robert Mueller, as he seeks to determine whether the Trump campaign collaborated with Russia to distort the outcome of the 2016 race. Mueller has reportedly expanded his inquiry to look at real estate deals involving the Trump Organization, as well as Kushner’s financing.

    Kushner will go before the US Senate intelligence committee on Monday in a closed session of the panel’s inquiry into Russian interference in the election in what could be a pivotal hearing into the affair.

    Leviev, a global tycoon known as the “king of diamonds”, was a business partner of the Russian-owned company Prevezon Holdings that was at the center of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit launched in New York. Under the leadership of US attorney Preet Bharara, who was fired by Trump in March, prosecutors pursued Prevezon for allegedly attempting to use Manhattan real estate deals to launder money stolen from the Russian treasury.

    The scam had been uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky, an accountant who died in 2009 in a Moscow jail in suspicious circumstances. US sanctions against Russia imposed after Magnitsky’s death were a central topic of conversation at the notorious Trump Tower meeting last June between Kushner, Donald Trump Jr, Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. "

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous10:52 AM

    That’s right: ALEC’s “model legislation” would repeal the 17th amendment, end more than a century of American citizens electing U.S. senators at the ballot box, and empower gerrymandered legislatures to choose senators for us, as was the practice in the 18th and 19th centuries.

    ...This would also reinforce Republican majorities in the Senate, where the GOP now holds a 52-48 edge. Right now at the state level, however, Republicans control 69 of 99 state legislative chambers, hold both branches in 32 states. Republicans, then, would potentially start with a supermajority of 64 U.S. senators.

    That would include both seats in swing states like Ohio – where an effective GOP gerrymander in 2011 helped create a 66-33 supermajority in the state house and a 24-9 advantage in the state senate – and Michigan, where Democratic state house candidates have earned more total votes in 2012, 2014 and 2016, but Republicans continuously win more seats.

    Under this proposal, Democratic senators such as Michigan’s Debbie Stabenow, Virginia’s Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin, for example, would be unlikely to be reappointed if the GOP continued to control those legislatures. Would partisan chambers allow for independent voices such as Bernie Sanders or Angus King? Indeed, the draft legislation might not even tolerate independence in office. It includes a provision stating that “state legislatures may issue instructions to, or recall, their Senators at any time.”

    The model legislation hasn’t become an official policy resolution yet. It was scheduled to be debated at ALEC’s annual meeting in Denver this weekend. But what gives ALEC such influence is its direct pipeline into state legislatures through conservative state representatives and senators.

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/conservative-lobbyists-at-alec-are-pushing-a-frightening-right-wing-plan-that-will-take-away-your-vote/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:23 AM

      Now that is fucking terrifying!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:42 PM

      Republican billionaires want to see our system of government go down - and soon. What they will replace it with is unknown to the rest of us; I wonder when they'll let the American people know what it will be . . . .
      Beaglemom

      Delete
    3. They'll never get enough states to agree to that.

      Even the Red states would have a problem with taking voting rights for representatives away from the people.

      Look at Obamacare. They still haven't learned it's much easier to deny something than to grant it and then take it away.

      Not going to happen.

      The real danger here is ALEC and their agenda. That they should be in a position to not only suggest it but have influence in the government to even try to get their passed is the real danger.

      What we need is a way to get organizations like ALEC banned.

      This just goes to show the Democrats have been sleeping at the wheel for decades to allow Republicans to take over at the state and local level. Democrats thought as long as they owned D.C. everything would be fine.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous7:26 AM

      People people. You ALL have them by the nuts. Share the Intel. Start with Woodrow Wilson folks. WHO did he help a century ago, and who is being a pain in the ass now? Answer: Russia! Welcome to HELL!!!
      Now quit Focking around and take your power & your country back! You better hurry up!!!

      Delete
  19. Anonymous10:52 AM

    ”Despite repeatedly lying about his meetings with the Russians, Jared Kushner continues to have access to classified information and an office in the West Wing. Let us be clear: Any individual who committed the same act and was not related to the President would have been stripped of their security clearance and investigated. If the President wants to create special rules for his son-in-law, Congress must act instead by prohibiting him from receiving classified information and relieving taxpayers from paying his expenses. Meanwhile, the President’s company continues to receive millions of dollars from government agencies that are forced to rent hotel rooms, office space and golf karts at his commercial properties. The Office of the President should never be used for personal gain or enrichment. That is why I have introduced an amendment to prohibit the Department of Defense from purchasing anything from a property owned by the President or a member of his family.”

    Lieu continued, “I am confident that every American can agree on two things: that we should protect our state secrets, and that the President of the United States should not make millions of dollars from U.S. taxpayers. If House Republicans choose to block debate on my amendments, they will be once again choosing fealty to Trump over country.”

    Rep. Lieu has been calling for Jared Kushner to be stripped of his security clearance for months. Rep. Lieu has also been outspoken about how the Trump family is using the presidency for personal financial gain. The conflicts of interest surrounding Trump and family are real, and they present an ongoing threat to our democracy.

    The Jared Kushner security clearance situation is a different threat in that the President has refused to revoke the security clearance of a close White House adviser who has hidden his contacts with Russians and is susceptible to blackmail.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/07/24/congressman-introduces-amendments-america-safe-jared-kushner-trump-org.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:21 AM

      The fact Republicans in Congress will not get together and start the demise of Donald Trump and all of his family members connected to our government is appalling!

      Impeachment is needed and necessary as to The Don. He does not represent me as potus in any way, shape or form. He's the most immoral man and is a pox upon our nation!

      Delete
  20. Anonymous10:55 AM

    ICE agent warns Trump policies have warped immigration agency

    “We seem to be targeting the most vulnerable people, not the worst,” he said. “You’re going to have kids stuck in detention because parents are too scared of being prosecuted to want to pick them up.”

    The agent said what’s happening at the agency is outside the normal realm.

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/people-feel-free-to-feel-contempt-ice-agent-warns-trump-policies-have-warped-immigration-agency/

    ReplyDelete
  21. Gryphen. I do not know how to contact you. Daily Kos just sent me an alert saying Senator Murkowdki is being hitvery hard with those who want her to support the repeal and replacement bill. It is very important that the other side step up NOW.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous11:24 AM

    RepubliCONs open new front in war on government.

    Cons, unhappy with CBO's scoring of healthcare plans, want to destroy CBO's independence and ability to do its own research.

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/house-gop-targets-non-partisan-cbo-for-staffing-and-funding-cuts

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous12:33 PM

    GOP FIGHT! Richard Burr Says Devin Nunes Is Total Dumbfuck Who Makes Shit Up
    Read more at
    https://wonkette.com/620657/gop-fight-richard-burr-says-devin-nunes-is-total-dumbfuck-who-makes-shit-up

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought senators weren't allowed to badmouth each other.

      Or is it only Democrats not allowed? Women not allowed? Or only Elizabeth Warren?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:10 PM

      I laughed. That's funny!

      Delete
  24. Anonymous1:39 PM

    Well, one thing we know for sure is that little Jared did not write that statement. His lawyers did.
    Beaglemom

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous2:02 PM

    OT?"Contrasting Trump’s administration with a hypothetical Hillary Clinton presidency, Peiovich added the alt-right would “probably be facing f*cking [racketeering] charges or some shit like that,” adding the movement has “to use these four years to grow into something that can’t be defeated by that kind of thing.”"“I hope the way that [Trump] is looked back on in history is that he was the vehicle that moved the alt-right movement, the white identity movement in the United States, back into the forefront of the political scene,” Peinovich said."

    http://www.salon.com/2017/07/24/alt-right-activists-say-trump-and-bannon-are-giving-them-space-to-destroy-by-keeping-fbi-away/

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/alt-right-activists-cheer-trump-for-giving-them-the-space-to-destroy-by-not-prosecuting-domestic-terrorists/

    ReplyDelete
  26. Randall2:51 PM

    OK, let's see the rest of the emails that Kushner and Junior exchanged "all the time"
    ...where are the missing emails?
    ...where are the missing emails?!?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Grey One talks sass3:31 PM

    If Kushner emailed his secretary there would be a record. Unless he was lying.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:06 PM

      Investigations can go on for months, years... There will be phone records, emails and everything. Right now they are just getting shy boy used to talking. He will eventually perform in public. By that time they will have more info to examine and know more about what Manafort and Jr. will testify.

      For now Jared delivered the crafty lawyer crafted 11 page statement in front of the White House. He did not talk to the house at the White House, but a statement where he talked to investigators was not the visual they wanted for Jared.

      Trump people are happy and satisfied he is clear. That's all Trumps care about.

      Delete
  28. Anonymous12:43 PM

    This I don't know how to fill out the forms or I am new to politics so I met all these russians is a bunch of crap.

    If you are too stupid to fill out the forms, there are paralegals and attorneys to help.

    Any grade schooler knows you don't meet with the enemy and if you aren't sure they are the enemy ASK SOMEONE!!!

    If he is so stupid how does he run the family business?

    He is guilty of collusion and got caught.

    Ignorance is never a defense.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous12:44 PM

    This I don't know how to fill out the forms or I am new to politics so I met all these russians is a bunch of crap.

    If you are too stupid to fill out the forms, there are paralegals and attorneys to help.

    Any grade schooler knows you don't meet with the enemy and if you aren't sure they are the enemy ASK SOMEONE!!!

    If he is so stupid how does he run the family business?

    He is guilty of collusion and got caught.

    Ignorance is never a defense.

    ReplyDelete

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