Nothing personal

Jared Kushner, son -in -law of Donald Trump, will be responsible for contacts with Russia's ambassador Sergei Kislyak and the head of Vnesheconombank Sergey Gorky

On the scandal that erupted in Washington, due to the publicity of the fact of the fact of the Kushner meeting during the 2016 election campaign with the head of Vnesheconombank, which is under Western sanctions, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov answered calmly: this is, they say, “ordinary business”. In the advertisement with RIA Novosti, he confirmed that Jared Kushner, as the head of Kushner Companies, was seen with the leadership of VEB as part of the presentation of the new strategy of the bank. At the same time, the head of the VEB, Sergei Gorky, supposedly managed to communicate with a number of representatives of the largest banks and business circles of the United States, Europe and Asia and discuss, as the bank assures, the modern practice of foreign development banks, promising directions and industries. The exact dates of Road Show are not reported. And, perhaps, this meeting of Kushner and Gorkov would be perceived in the United States just as business, if not for two important “but”. Firstly, Vneschanobank is the State Russian Corporation, which, we repeat, on July 16, 2014 fell into the US sanctions list. And secondly, according to The New York Times, Kushner met with Gorkov at the personal request of the Russian ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak, with whom Kushner also saw once.

No vileness

The Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress said at the beginning of the week that he plans to interview Jared Kushner in the case of the relations of the new president with representatives of Russia. At the same time, Kushner, as the White House confirmed on March 27, volunteered to come to the Senate Committee voluntarily. The date when he will testify is still unknown.

The Committee is investigating the possible intervention of Russia in the elections in the fall of 2016. Three of his associates - the presidential adviser Carter Page, business partner Roger Stone and the former head of the election campaign of Trump Paul Manafort, already reported about suspicious ties of the Trump team and Russia. And before that-February 14-due to telephone conversations with the Russian ambassador, the fact of which he tried to hide, Michael Flynn, freshly advised Trump adviser to National Security. Under public pressure, he was forced to admit that he had given vice president Mike Penca incomplete information about his contacts with Sergey Kislyak.

The White House has already acted to defend Jared Kushner. His official representative Sean Spacey stated on March 27 that Kushner did not commit any “vileness”, but simply “did his work” - solved the tasks that he was entrusted. President Trump, trying to distract his attention from his family, wrote the next message on Twitter: “Why not the Committee of the House of Representatives to investigate the deal of Bill and Hillary Clinton, which allowed the large part of the Uranium to be under the control of Russia ( we mean the purchase of Uranium One. - NT) , paid lecture by Bill Clinton in Russia, a paid lecture in Russia Hillary’s “rebooting”, her praise to Russia or the Russian company Podesta ( John Podesta, the head of the election campaign Hillary Clinton. - NT ). The story of Trump's connections with Russia is a lie. ”

The White House has already acted to defend Jared Kushner. Its official representative Sean Spacey stated on March 27 that Kushner did not commit any “vileness”, but simply “did his work” - solved the tasks that he was entrusted with

On a civilian with a clear conscience

On March 27, the White House said that Kushner will lead the new department of American innovations. The president’s son -in -law promises to approach the work “creatively and strategically”: create special groups that, among other things, will modernize government services, improve the quality of services provided to veterans, create jobs in industry and deal with an epidemic of drug addiction.

But the transition of the millionaire Kushner to the civil service requires a refusal of private interests. Therefore, as lawyer Jamie Gorelik, adviser to Kushner on ethical issues, told The New York Times, her client will have to part with. He will leave the post of executive director of the Kushner Companies family company, get rid of its shares, sell The New York Observer newspaper and refrain from managing the rest of the property that belongs not only to him, but also to Zhenya Ivanka, the president’s daughter. Kushner also promises to sell 35 investment real estate objects, including the building, where the main office of Kushner Companies is located - a skyscraper at 666, the fifth Avenue in the Manhattan Midtown.

Kushner will leave the post of executive director of the Kushner Companies family company, get rid of its shares, sell The New York Observer newspaper and refrain from managing the rest of the property that belongs not only to him, but also to Zhenya Ivanka, the presidential daughter

Thimblerig

However, Kushner's “good intentions” have already raised questions among lawyers and journalists. The Gorelik plan would be really good if Trump’s son -in -law transferred his property to people who were in no way connected. But it turns out that Kushner Sr. sells his assets to his younger brother Joshua, a 31-year-old venture capitalist (an investor financing new and highly risky projects), and a trust controlled by his mother Seil. Moreover, Seril Kushner with the rest of the children are the beneficiaries of this trust. Thus, formally renouncing the business, Jared Kushner, through his closest relatives, will still remain associated with the family empire, which owns real estate throughout the country and often relies, as the New York Times writes, on “dirty” foreign money.

The attention of journalists was also attracted by the sale of a skyscraper in Manhattan. Kushner, as it turned out, is negotiating the deal with the Chinese Anbang Insure Group. But here, as in the story with meetings with Kislyak and Gorkov, the “toxicity” of the transaction may be more significant than its benefit. This Chinese financial company has a very opaque structure of owners who, as the New York Times suspect, are directly related to the Higher Political leadership of the still communist power.

It turns out that Kushner Sr. sells his assets to the younger brother Joshua, a 31-year-old venture capitalist (an investor financing new and highly risky projects), and a trust that his mother Seril controls. Moreover, Seril Kushner with other children are the beneficiaries of this is a trust. Thus, formally renouncing business, Jared Kushner through his closest relatives will remain still associated with the family empire, which owns real estate throughout the country

Photo: Max Goldberg