Is Jared Kushner Becoming The Center Of Russia Investigation?

President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has been in the headlines after reports said last month he was a focus of investigation in the FBI’s Russia investigation. Now, a report by the Washington Post on Thursday said Special Counsel Robert Mueller is looking into Kushner’s financial dealings as a part of an investigation into Russia’s meddling in 2016 presidential election.

While Mueller’s investigation is in its early stage, his spokesman Peter Carr told the Post “the Special Counsel’s Office has undertaken stringent controls to prohibit unauthorized disclosures and will deal severely with any member who engages in this conduct.”

Read: Jared Kushner Wants To Clear His Name Over Russia Meetings

Kushner’s role in the Russia probe is becoming increasingly prominent. Last month, Kushner came under scrutiny after reports said the FBI diverted its attention to the White House senior adviser in its Russia probe. Officials are particularly looking into his meetings with Sergey Gorkov, the chairman of Russia’s state-owned Vnesheconombank and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December.

The White House maintained Kushner’s meeting with Gorkov was a mere pre-inauguration diplomatic encounter and was in no way related to business. However, the Post noted the meeting took place at a time when Kushner’s company sought finance for its troubled $1.8 billion purchase of an office building on Fifth Avenue in New York. The report also noted such an encounter between the two men is likely to raise questions about whether Kushner’s personal financial interests collided with his upcoming role in the Trump administration.

"We do not know what this report refers to. It would be standard practice for the Special Counsel to examine financial records to look for anything related to Russia," Jamie Gorelick, Kushner's lawyer said in response to the Post’ report. "Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about Russia-related matters. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry," he added.

Kushner is expected to meet the Senate Intelligence Committee sometime this month. The committee, which is investigating Russia's meddling in the presidential election and whether any of Trump's associates had ties with the country at the time, expects Kushner to provide documents and face questions from the senators.

Read: Cory Booker And Jared Kushner: Democrat Received Campaign Cash From Trump's Son-In-Law

The 36-year-old is reported to have been bothered by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s decision to appoint Mueller as the special counsel. While Trump’s aides suggested him to release a statement accepting Rosenstein’s decision, Kushner urged the president to counterattack, two senior administration officials told the New York Times in May.

Kushner is also close to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn who was fired by Trump in February after he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the contents and nature of his communications with Kislyak.

Reports also said Kushner was not happy with the Russia allegation reports, which he thought damaged his reputation. He was also reportedly contemplating to review his and wife Ivanka Trump’s stay at Washington, D.C., every six months.