Jared Kushner Reportedly Used Encrypted Messaging Service WhatsApp For Official Government Business on Regular Basis
House Oversight and Reform Committee chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) is demanding an investigation into Jared Kushner‘s use of a personal messaging account to conduct government business.
Politico reports that Cummings sent a letter to the White House’s legal counsel saying Kushner’s lawyer informed lawmakers that President Trump‘s son-in-law was conducting official government business through WhatsApp, an encrypted messaging service. Abbe Lowell, the legal representative for Kushner, claims that his client complies with the law and posts screenshots on his White House accounts to adhere to records preservation laws.
Here’s the letter Cummings sent to the White House.
NEW: House Oversight Cmte. Chairman Cummings says in letter to WH counsel that Jared Kushner's attorney said in a Dec. 2018 meeting that Kushner "has been using the messaging application WhatsApp as part of his official White House duties to communicate with foreign leaders." pic.twitter.com/2JueFnEKaF
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 21, 2019
The news comes amid questions about whether Trump ordered his staffers to grant security clearances to Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump. The Oversight Committee is currently investigating these reports by asking the White House to turn over a plethora of documents for external review.
The news corroborates previous reporting that Kushner used used WhatsApp to directly communicate with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.
The Intercept has reported that Salman has bragged about Kushner being “in his pocket” with how they’ve exchanged information through their conversations. National security staffers were supposedly concerned about these private conversations while investigations were being conducted on Jamal Khashoggi‘s murder.
Lowell also reportedly told Cummings that Ivanka has conducted White House business through a personal email account, which might entail a violation of the Presidential Records Act. The First Daughter’s private email usage is a recurring subject of intrigue among political observers since her father rose to the presidency by trashing Hillary Clinton over her own email scandal.
UPDATE – 3:28 p.m. ET: Lowell is taking issue with certain elements of Cummings’ letter:
JUST IN: Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell disputes elements of Cummings' letter, says he told lawmakers to talk to the White House about Kushner's WhatsApp use. https://t.co/uOZdCgKGph pic.twitter.com/vkxbEf6bJO
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 21, 2019
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