President Donald Trump's son-in-law has said neither he nor anyone in the Trump campaign team colluded with Russian officials over the US election.

Jared Kushner said he had no improper contacts and did not rely on Russian funds to finance business activities.

Mr Kushner released his opening statement ahead of giving testimony before a Senate panel on Monday.

The Senate, the House and a special counsel are all investigating Russian interference in the election.

Mr Kushner, 36, is a senior adviser to the president and was in charge of the Trump campaign's digital strategy. He is married to Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka.

Mr Kushner, who keeps a very low media profile, was due to attend a closed-door session on Monday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, and then appear before the House version on Tuesday.

In the statement to both congressional committees he released on Monday, he says: "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government."

"With respect to my contacts with Russia or Russian representatives during the campaign, there were hardly any," he says. At the end of the statement he speaks of "perhaps four contacts with Russian representatives" both during the campaign and after.

He does refer to a meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June last year. She had allegedly promised damaging material on Hillary Clinton.

Mr Kushner said he arrived late at the meeting, realised little of note was being discussed and that it was "time not well-spent".

He said: "I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for 10 or so minutes and wrote 'Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting'."

Mr Trump Jr said former campaign chief Paul Manafort was also at the meeting and that no compromising material on Mrs Clinton was provided.

One matter on which Mr Kushner may face a grilling is his security clearance declaration, as he accepts he failed initially to reveal his contacts with Russians.

He says the first form, a "rough draft that still had many omissions", was filed by an assistant in error on 18 January and that declarations on his foreign contacts, not just with Russians, were added over the next six months "in the normal course".

Mr Kushner was not expected to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at the Congress meetings.

In his statement, he says: "I am happy to share information with the investigating bodies. I have shown today that I am willing to do so and will continue to co-operate as I have nothing to hide."

His statement concludes: "Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest."

Mr Kushner was also not expected to be under oath on Monday. However, what he says could be used against him at a later date and may well be passed to the special counsel, Robert Mueller, to help his investigation.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, said: "There's a lot we want to know. We have a lot of ground to cover."

Mr Trump Jr and Mr Manafort had been scheduled to appear before Congress on Wednesday to testify but that has been delayed indefinitely as lawyers negotiate on the documentation and information to be discussed.

President Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia.

He continued his tirade against the investigation process on Sunday, tweeting: "As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians!"

Russia has also denied any involvement.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC NEWS

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