Associated Press/Alex Brandon
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner looks at his notes as he speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017
- Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and one of his senior advisers could be vulnerable to manipulation by at least four foreign powers, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
- Those countries - the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Israel, and China view Kushner's stature within the Trump administration, his troubled financial dealings, and his lack of government experience as a potential opening for political influence, the newspaper said, citing current and former US officials.
- The revelation comes just days after Kushner's security clearance was downgraded due in part to a federal background check that's been ongoing for more than a year.
A handful of foreign countries see Jared Kushner as a potential target for manipulation, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
At least four nations - China, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, and Israel - pinpointed Kushner's senior ranking in the Trump administration, his troubled financial dealings, and his lack of government experience as an opening for political influence, the newspaper said, citing current and former US government officials.
The matter has significance in part because of Kushner's history of engagement with foreign leaders during the presidential transition, many of which were omitted from his security clearance application. Kushner has had to amend that document multiple times. He added more than 100 names of foreign contacts to the list last year.
Additionally, The Post's report says that some meetings with foreign leaders that Kushner has had in his official White House capacity have caught the attention of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, who learned that Kushner had not gone through proper US government channels to set up or report those meetings.
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