Trump son-in-law Kushner to face Russia investigation panel

Donald Trump's son-in-law and top aide Jared

Kushner will appear before a Senate panel

investigating Russian interference in the US

election, the White House said Monday.

Kushner, 36, was Trump's main intermediary

with foreign governments during the 2016

election campaign and now plays that role in

the White House.



US President-elect Donald Trump (R) and his

wife Melania Trump arrive for a leadership

luncheon at the Trump International Hotel in

Washington, DC on January 19, 2017.

Twenty-four hours before he takes the oath

of office as the 45th US president, Trump

arrived in Washington on Thursday,

determined to transform American politics

over the next four years. / AFP PHOTO

He arranged meetings between Trump and

leaders from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo

Abe to Mexican President Enrique Pena

Nieto.



But it is his contacts with Russian officials that

are now coming under the microscope, amid

explosive allegations of collusion between

the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

US intelligence has concluded that Russia

launched a broad-ranging campaign designed

to help Trump win election.



"Throughout the campaign and transition,

Jared Kushner served as the official primary

point of contact with foreign governments

and officials," a White House official said.

"Given this role, he has volunteered to speak

with Chairman Burr's committee, but has not

yet received confirmation," the official said,

referring to Senator Richard Burr of North

Carolina.



Burr chairs the Senate intelligence

committee.



In a joint statement with his Democratic

counterpart Senator Mark Warner, Burr said Kushner's decision to

appear showed the

panel's independence.

"From the beginning of this investigation we

have committed to follow the facts wherever

they lead us," they said.



"Mr. Kushner will certainly not be the last

person the committee calls to give

testimony, but we expect him to be able to

provide answers to key questions that have

arisen in our inquiry."



The development comes amid renewed

questions over the impartiality of a parallel

inquiry from the House of Representative's

intelligence committee.



It is led by Congressman Devin Nunes, who is

under fire for briefing the Trump about

issues related to the investigation.



Last week Nunes revealed that Trump's own

communications may have been swept up in

intelligence gathering on suspected foreign

agents.



Nunes worked on Trump's transition team

and is now leading an investigation into

possible links between that campaign team

and Russia.



The Senate's top democrat Chuck Schumer

called Monday for Nunes to be removed

from his chairmanship of the inquiry.



"Chairman Nunes is falling down on the job

and seems to be more interested in

protecting the president than in seeking the

truth," Schumer said on the floor of the

Senate.



"You cannot have the person in charge of an

impartial investigation be partial to one

side."