Right so Kushner witholds all Russian contacts on SF86 security forms, gets caught, then admits to meeting Russian Officials and representatives FOUR TIMES during the election.
Kushner defends his Russia contacts: "I did not collude" - POLITICO
In his prepared statement to Congress, the president's son-in-law recounts but downplays four meetings with Russians.
But the opening statement, designed to look fully transparent and take Kushner out of the Russia investigation spotlight, appeared to raise more questions about Kushner?s judgment than it answered.
To wit: the former real estate developer blamed the glaring omissions on his security clearance forms ? which did not originally include several meetings with Russian officials that have since come to light ? on an honest mistake made by his assistant at the time. And like others in the Trump orbit who met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Inauguration Day, Kushner also said he had trouble remembering the official after their first brief, previously unreported encounter at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. ? the same event where Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with, but didn't remember, the Russian ambassador.
Overall, his account of events ?still feels incomplete, it was not fulsome,? Evelyn Farkas, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, said of the testimony. ?I still wonder exactly what he discussed with Kislyak? in his subsequent conversations to the Mayflower meeting, she said. But more importantly, she added, Kushner?s testimony provides no explanation for why he was cavalier in his interactions with Russians after intelligence community reports that Russia tried to meddle in the U.S. election.
?After that,? Farkas said, ?why not alert the FBI? It doesn?t exhibit good judgment, or concerns for national security or the integrity of our democracy to be taking those meetings with the Russians.?