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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJared Kushner wanted to use Russian embassy to make secure phone calls to Kremlin
by Keith A. Spencer at Salon
http://www.salon.com/2017/05/26/jared-kushner-wanted-to-use-russian-embassy-to-make-secure-phone-calls-to-kremlin/
SNIP.................
After it was revealed yesterday that the presidential son-in-law was being targeted by the FBI as a person of interest in the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, the Washington Post dropped another shocking revelation today in a report stating that Kushner asked Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak if they might set up a secure communications channel in a Russian diplomatic facility, which would allow the Trump team to have an open and private channel to the Kremlin.
Former National Security Advisor Gen. Michael Flynn, who resigned in disgrace from Trumps cabinet within 30 days of Trumps inauguration, was also in attendance at the early December meeting with Kislyak in Trump Tower. It was at this meeting in early December that Kushner floated the idea to Kislyak, reported the Post.
Kislyak was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team, according to the Post.
It is unclear why Kushner and Trumps team so direly needed a secret communications channel to the Kremlin, though given the near-daily attempts by Trump confidants to obscure or downplay their Russian connections, the answer may be unsavory. It was also inept of Kushner to believe that could walk into the Russian embassy and make a secret phone call; as the Post noted, the FBI closely monitors the communications of Russian officials in the United States, and maintains near-constant surveillance of its diplomatic facilities. The National Security Agency monitors the communications of Russian officials overseas.
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Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)Cattledog
(5,897 posts)JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)I have to say I am most struck by the depths of cluelessness of Team Trump. It just didn't occur to them that US Intelligence kept an eye on things like the Russian embassy.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)TheOther95Percent
(1,035 posts)It will be interesting to hear the GOPers tie themselves in knots to explain this behavior.
writes3000
(4,734 posts)superpatriotman
(6,232 posts)Did they say 'yes'?
Corgigal
(9,291 posts)activates, I guess it makes you dumb as a bag of rocks.
To think they believed they would get away with this. Lord, idiots. Get some fear in your body, it helps you make smart decisions. It protects you.