Some U.S. intelligence officials were reportedly worried that China was trying to sway the opinions of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner
Jared Corey KushnerHope Hicks to meet with House Intel in Russia probe: report US officials warned Kushner about friendship with Wendi Deng Murdoch: report Overnight Regulation: Fight erupts over gun export rules | WH meets advocates on prison reform | Officials move to allow Medicaid work requirements | New IRS guidance on taxes MORE by utilizing his business interests.
The New Yorker reported Saturday that U.S. intelligence on Chinese communications indicated that President Trump
Donald John TrumpDems flip Wisconsin state Senate seat Sessions: 'We should be like Canada' in how we take in immigrants GOP rep: 'Sheet metal and garbage' everywhere in Haiti MORE's son-in-law and senior adviser spoke with China’s ambassador to the U.S. about both policy and business ahead of an April 2017 summit.
The report, however, said the information gathered by officials “wasn’t conclusive,” noting China may have misrepresented the talks.
“I never saw any indication that it was successful,” one former senior U.S. official told The New Yorker, discussing China’s attempts.
Still, the report noted that the intelligence on Chinese communications raised concerns that Beijing might be trying to capitalize on Kushner's relationship with President Trump.
A spokesman for Kushner in a statement to the magazine denied that the president’s son-in-law talked to foreign officials about “personal or family business.”
“There was never a time—never—that Mr. Kushner spoke to any foreign officials, in the campaign, transition, and in the Administration, about any personal or family business. He was scrupulous in this regard,” the spokesman said.