Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed 'secret line to Russia'

Russia's ambassador to the US told his bosses that he and Jared Kushner talked about setting up a secret channel for communication between Donald Trump's transition team and Moscow, according to a report.

Mr Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, proposed using Russia's diplomatic facilities for talks, apparently because they could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The report, citing anonymous US officials briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications, said ambassador Sergei Kislyak had been "taken aback" by the suggestion.

In March, the White House confirmed that Mr Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, had met Mr Kislyak at Trump Tower three months earlier. He had been accompanied by now-sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The new details raise questions over whether Mr Kushner's contact with Mr Kislyak was more extensive than the White House has admitted.

Image:Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and their family travel on Air Force One

The White House has acknowledged the December meeting and that the two were at a Trump speech in Washington in April 2016 but they have not acknowledged any further contact.

Also, Reuters has reported that Mr Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Mr Kislyak during and after the 2016 campaign.

Their report quotes unidentified current and former US officials, who said two of these contacts were phone calls.

Mr Kushner's lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, said he had "no recollection" of the calls with Mr Kislyak as reported by Reuters.

She said that Mr Kushner had "thousands of calls" during the presidential campaign for his father-in-law, adding: "We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information."

Earlier this year, Mr Kushner became a focus of the FBI investigation into possible collusion between the campaign and the Kremlin, according to two of the Reuters sources.

The possible collusion and the nature of the contact between the two administrations are being examined by several investigators and congressional committees.

Image:Jared Kushner meets military personnel at a US base in Iraq

Sky News US Correspondent Amanda Walker said Mr Kushner's name being linked to the investigation "certainly does not play well".

"It's been very pointedly remarked upon that he's not a target of the investigation, so not the sole focus, but certainly somebody who might be able to help with what will be a very in-depth and lengthy investigation into these possible ties, possible collusion between Trump's team and Russia.

"What they'll be focusing on most strongly is Jared Kushner's meeting back in December with the Russian ambassador.

"The White House has said it's completely normal and inconsequential - and it is fairly normal for an adviser to a then candidate... to have those kinds of meetings with diplomats.

"What's not normal is what the consensus of the intelligence agencies was: that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election."

Image:Mr Kushner with wife Ivanka, who is the President's daughter

The FBI and White House did not comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts.

Mr Trump has suggested he is being unfairly treated in the Russia investigation, claiming that he was the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in US political history.