Update: Just like last week's bombshells, the Washington Post managed to publish an almost identical confirmation of NBC's story within minutes...almost like they coordinated...
And, just like NBC, the Washington Post was careful to hedge their salacious title (though multiple paragraphs down in the body of the article) by pointing out that Kushner is not technically a "target" in the investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
The Post has not been told that Kushner is a target — or the central focus — of the investigation, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Target is a word that generally refers to someone who is the main suspect of investigators’ attention, though prosecutors can and do bring charges against people who are not marked with that distinction.
Breaking: Jared Kushner now a focus in Russia investigation https://t.co/h3WiyrIkC6
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 25, 2017
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Last week when the Washington Post first reported that a senior White House adviser and "someone close to the president" was under scrutiny by investigators looking into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, we noted speculation from the Twittersphere suggesting that that "someone" might be Jared Kushner (see "Unnamed White House Official Under FBI Investigation In Russia Probe"). Now, at least according to NBC, and information garnered from more anonymous sources, it seems that speculation may have been accurate.
Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, has come under FBI scrutiny in the Russia investigation, multiple U.S. officials told NBC News.
Investigators believe Kushner has significant information relevant to their inquiry, officials said. That does not mean they suspect him of a crime or intend to charge him.
The FBI's scrutiny of Kushner places the bureau's sprawling counterintelligence and criminal investigation not only on the doorstep of the White House, but on the cusp of the Trump family circle. The Washington Post first reported last week that a senior White House official close to Trump was a "person of interest," but did not name the person.
Not surprisingly, NBC's report is lacking on actual facts on why Kushner may be a "person of interest" in the FBI's inquiry but is long on innuendo as they point out that he met at least once in December with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, and he also met last year with a Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov.
Meanwhile, Kushner's lawyer told NBC that he expects to cooperate if contacted in regards to any inquiry.
"Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings," Kushner's lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, told NBC News. "He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry.
Of course, despite the sensational headline, NBC's report still offers no facts to support their larger thesis of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign...but it does help advance the provocative narrative just a bit further...