Exclusive: Trump son-in-law had undisclosed contacts with Russian envoy - sourcesWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former U.S. officials told Reuters. Those contacts included two phone calls between April and November last year, two of the sources said. By early this year, Kushner had become a focus of the FBI investigation into whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, said two other sources - one current and one former law enforcement official.  Kushner initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s connections with Russian officials, the two sources said. While the FBI is investigating Kushner’s contacts with Russia, he is not currently a target of that investigation, the current law enforcement official said. The new information about the two calls as well as other details uncovered by Reuters shed light on when and why Kushner first attracted FBI attention and show that his contacts with Russian envoy Sergei Kislyak were more extensive than the White House has acknowledged.  NBC News reported on Thursday that Kushner was under scrutiny by the FBI, in the first sign that the investigation, which began last July, has reached the president’s inner circle.   The FBI declined to comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.  Kushner’s attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said Kushner did not remember any calls with Kislyak between April and November.  “Mr Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period. He has no recollection of the calls as described. We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information,” she said. In March, the White House said that Kushner and Flynn had met Kislyak at Trump Tower in December to establish “a line of communication.” Kislyak also attended a Trump campaign speech in Washington in April 2016 that Kushner attended. The White House did not acknowledge any other contacts between Kushner and Russian officials. Before the election, Kislyak’s undisclosed discussions with Kushner and Flynn focused on fighting terrorism and improving U.S.-Russian economic relations, six of the sources said. Former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia after it seized Crimea and started supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. After the Nov. 8 election, Kushner and Flynn also discussed with Kislyak the idea of creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, two of the sources said. Reuters was unable to determine how those discussions were conducted or exactly when they took place. Reuters was first to report last week that a proposal for a back channel was discussed between Flynn and Kislyak as Trump prepared to take office. The Washington Post was first to report on Friday that Kushner participated in that conversation. Separately, there were at least 18 undisclosed calls and emails between Trump associates and Kremlin-linked people in the seven months before the Nov. 8 presidential election, including six calls with Kislyak, sources told Reuters earlier this month. . Two people familiar with those 18 contacts said Flynn and Kushner were among the Trump associates who spoke to the ambassador by telephone. Reuters previously reported only Flynn’s involvement in those discussions. Six of the sources said there were multiple contacts between Kushner and Kislyak but declined to give details beyond the two phone calls between April and November and the post-election conversation about setting up a back channel. It is also not clear whether Kushner engaged with Kislyak on his own or with other Trump aides.  FBI scrutiny of Kushner began when intelligence reports of Flynn’s contacts with Russians included mentions of U.S. citizens, whose names were redacted because of U.S. privacy laws. This prompted investigators to ask U.S. intelligence agencies to reveal the names of the Americans, the current U.S. law enforcement official said. Kushner’s was one of the names that was revealed, the official said, prompting a closer look at the president’s son-in-law’s dealings with Kislyak and other Russians. FBI investigators are examining whether Russians suggested to Kushner or other Trump aides that relaxing economic sanctions would allow Russian banks to offer financing to people with ties to Trump, said the current U.S. law enforcement official.  The head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, Sergei Nikolaevich Gorkov, a trained intelligence officer whom Putin appointed, met Kushner at Trump Tower in December. The bank is under U.S. sanctions and was implicated in a 2015 espionage case in which one of its New York executives pleaded guilty to spying and was jailed.  The bank said in a statement in March that it had met with Kushner along with other representatives of U.S. banks and business as part of preparing a new corporate strategy. Officials familiar with intelligence on contacts between the Russians and Trump advisers said that so far they have not seen evidence of any wrongdoing or collusion between the Trump camp and the Kremlin.  Moreover, they said, nothing found so far indicates that Trump authorized, or was even aware of, the contacts. There may not have been anything improper about the contacts, the current law enforcement official stressed. Kushner offered in March to be interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russia’s attempts to interfere in last year’s election. The contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials during the presidential campaign coincided with what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was a Kremlin effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trump’s chances of winning the White House and damage his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. politicsNews
exclusive trump undisclosed contacts russian envoy sourceswashington reuters president donald trump close adviser jared pusher least three previously undisclosed contacts russian ambassador united states presidential campaign seven current former officials told reuters those contacts included two phone calls april november last year two sources said by early year pusher become focus fbi investigation whether collusion trump campaign kremlin said two sources one current one former law enforcement official pusher initially come attention fbi investigators last year began scrutinizing former national security adviser michael flynn connections russian officials two sources said while fbi investigating pusher contacts russia currently target investigation current law enforcement official said the new information two calls well details uncovered reuters shed light pusher first attracted fbi attention show contacts russian envoy series kislyak extensive white house acknowledged nbc news reported thursday pusher scrutiny fbi first sign investigation began last july reached president inner circle the fbi declined comment russian embassy said policy comment individual diplomatic contacts the white house respond request comment pusher attorney jamie gorelick said pusher remember calls kislyak april november mr pusher participated thousands calls time period he recollection calls described we asked reuters dates alleged calls may look respond received information said in march white house said pusher flynn met kislyak trump tower december establish line kislyak also attended trump campaign speech washington april pusher attended the white house acknowledge contacts pusher russian officials before election kislyak undisclosed discussions pusher flynn focused fighting terrorism improving economic relations six sources said former president barack obama imposed sanctions russia seized crimea started supporting separatists eastern ukraine after election pusher flynn also discussed kislyak idea creating back channel trump russian president vladimir putin could bypassed diplomats intelligence agencies two sources said reuters unable determine discussions conducted exactly took place reuters first report last week proposal back channel discussed flynn kislyak trump prepared take office the washington post first report friday pusher participated conversation separately least undisclosed calls emails trump associates people seven months presidential election including six calls kislyak sources told reuters earlier two people familiar contacts said flynn pusher among trump associates spoke ambassador telephone reuters previously reported flynn involvement discussions six sources said multiple contacts pusher kislyak declined give details beyond two phone calls april november conversation setting back channel it also clear whether pusher engaged kislyak trump aides fbi scrutiny pusher began intelligence reports flynn contacts russian included mentions citizens whose names redacted privacy laws this prompted investigators ask intelligence agencies reveal names americans current law enforcement official said pusher one names revealed official said prompting closer look president dealings kislyak russian fbi investigators examining whether russian suggested pusher trump aides relaxing economic sanctions would allow russian banks offer financing people ties trump said current law enforcement official the head russian vnesheconombank series nikolaevich gordon trained intelligence officer putin appointed met pusher trump tower december the bank sanctions implicated espionage case one new york executives pleaded guilty spying jailed the bank said statement march met pusher along representatives banks business part preparing new corporate strategy officials familiar intelligence contacts russian trump advisers said far seen evidence wrongdoing collusion trump camp kremlin moreover said nothing found far indicates trump authorized even aware contacts there may anything improper contacts current law enforcement official stressed pusher offered march interviewed senate intelligence committee also investigating russia attempts interfere last year election the contacts trump campaign associates russian officials presidential campaign coincided intelligence agencies concluded kremlin effort computer hacking fake news propaganda boost trump chances winning white house damage democratic opponent hillary clinton politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Exclusive: Trump son-in-law had undisclosed contacts with Russian envoy - sourcesWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former U.S. officials told Reuters. Those contacts included two phone calls between April and November last year, two of the sources said. By early this year, Kushner had become a focus of the FBI investigation into whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, said two other sources - one current and one former law enforcement official.  Kushner initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s connections with Russian officials, the two sources said. While the FBI is investigating Kushner’s contacts with Russia, he is not currently a target of that investigation, the current law enforcement official said. The new information about the two calls as well as other details uncovered by Reuters shed light on when and why Kushner first attracted FBI attention and show that his contacts with Russian envoy Sergei Kislyak were more extensive than the White House has acknowledged.  NBC News reported on Thursday that Kushner was under scrutiny by the FBI, in the first sign that the investigation, which began last July, has reached the president’s inner circle.   The FBI declined to comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.  Kushner’s attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said Kushner did not remember any calls with Kislyak between April and November.  “Mr Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period. He has no recollection of the calls as described. We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information,” she said. In March, the White House said that Kushner and Flynn had met Kislyak at Trump Tower in December to establish “a line of communication.” Kislyak also attended a Trump campaign speech in Washington in April 2016 that Kushner attended. The White House did not acknowledge any other contacts between Kushner and Russian officials. Before the election, Kislyak’s undisclosed discussions with Kushner and Flynn focused on fighting terrorism and improving U.S.-Russian economic relations, six of the sources said. Former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia after it seized Crimea and started supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. After the Nov. 8 election, Kushner and Flynn also discussed with Kislyak the idea of creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, two of the sources said. Reuters was unable to determine how those discussions were conducted or exactly when they took place. Reuters was first to report last week that a proposal for a back channel was discussed between Flynn and Kislyak as Trump prepared to take office. The Washington Post was first to report on Friday that Kushner participated in that conversation. Separately, there were at least 18 undisclosed calls and emails between Trump associates and Kremlin-linked people in the seven months before the Nov. 8 presidential election, including six calls with Kislyak, sources told Reuters earlier this month. . Two people familiar with those 18 contacts said Flynn and Kushner were among the Trump associates who spoke to the ambassador by telephone. Reuters previously reported only Flynn’s involvement in those discussions. Six of the sources said there were multiple contacts between Kushner and Kislyak but declined to give details beyond the two phone calls between April and November and the post-election conversation about setting up a back channel. It is also not clear whether Kushner engaged with Kislyak on his own or with other Trump aides.  FBI scrutiny of Kushner began when intelligence reports of Flynn’s contacts with Russians included mentions of U.S. citizens, whose names were redacted because of U.S. privacy laws. This prompted investigators to ask U.S. intelligence agencies to reveal the names of the Americans, the current U.S. law enforcement official said. Kushner’s was one of the names that was revealed, the official said, prompting a closer look at the president’s son-in-law’s dealings with Kislyak and other Russians. FBI investigators are examining whether Russians suggested to Kushner or other Trump aides that relaxing economic sanctions would allow Russian banks to offer financing to people with ties to Trump, said the current U.S. law enforcement official.  The head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, Sergei Nikolaevich Gorkov, a trained intelligence officer whom Putin appointed, met Kushner at Trump Tower in December. The bank is under U.S. sanctions and was implicated in a 2015 espionage case in which one of its New York executives pleaded guilty to spying and was jailed.  The bank said in a statement in March that it had met with Kushner along with other representatives of U.S. banks and business as part of preparing a new corporate strategy. Officials familiar with intelligence on contacts between the Russians and Trump advisers said that so far they have not seen evidence of any wrongdoing or collusion between the Trump camp and the Kremlin.  Moreover, they said, nothing found so far indicates that Trump authorized, or was even aware of, the contacts. There may not have been anything improper about the contacts, the current law enforcement official stressed. Kushner offered in March to be interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russia’s attempts to interfere in last year’s election. The contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials during the presidential campaign coincided with what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was a Kremlin effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trump’s chances of winning the White House and damage his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: exclusive trump undisclosed contacts russian envoy sourceswashington reuters president donald trump close adviser jared pusher least three previously undisclosed contacts russian ambassador united states presidential campaign seven current former officials told reuters those contacts included two phone calls april november last year two sources said by early year pusher become focus fbi investigation whether collusion trump campaign kremlin said two sources one current one former law enforcement official pusher initially come attention fbi investigators last year began scrutinizing former national security adviser michael flynn connections russian officials two sources said while fbi investigating pusher contacts russia currently target investigation current law enforcement official said the new information two calls well details uncovered reuters shed light pusher first attracted fbi attention show contacts russian envoy series kislyak extensive white house acknowledged nbc news reported thursday pusher scrutiny fbi first sign investigation began last july reached president inner circle the fbi declined comment russian embassy said policy comment individual diplomatic contacts the white house respond request comment pusher attorney jamie gorelick said pusher remember calls kislyak april november mr pusher participated thousands calls time period he recollection calls described we asked reuters dates alleged calls may look respond received information said in march white house said pusher flynn met kislyak trump tower december establish line kislyak also attended trump campaign speech washington april pusher attended the white house acknowledge contacts pusher russian officials before election kislyak undisclosed discussions pusher flynn focused fighting terrorism improving economic relations six sources said former president barack obama imposed sanctions russia seized crimea started supporting separatists eastern ukraine after election pusher flynn also discussed kislyak idea creating back channel trump russian president vladimir putin could bypassed diplomats intelligence agencies two sources said reuters unable determine discussions conducted exactly took place reuters first report last week proposal back channel discussed flynn kislyak trump prepared take office the washington post first report friday pusher participated conversation separately least undisclosed calls emails trump associates people seven months presidential election including six calls kislyak sources told reuters earlier two people familiar contacts said flynn pusher among trump associates spoke ambassador telephone reuters previously reported flynn involvement discussions six sources said multiple contacts pusher kislyak declined give details beyond two phone calls april november conversation setting back channel it also clear whether pusher engaged kislyak trump aides fbi scrutiny pusher began intelligence reports flynn contacts russian included mentions citizens whose names redacted privacy laws this prompted investigators ask intelligence agencies reveal names americans current law enforcement official said pusher one names revealed official said prompting closer look president dealings kislyak russian fbi investigators examining whether russian suggested pusher trump aides relaxing economic sanctions would allow russian banks offer financing people ties trump said current law enforcement official the head russian vnesheconombank series nikolaevich gordon trained intelligence officer putin appointed met pusher trump tower december the bank sanctions implicated espionage case one new york executives pleaded guilty spying jailed the bank said statement march met pusher along representatives banks business part preparing new corporate strategy officials familiar intelligence contacts russian trump advisers said far seen evidence wrongdoing collusion trump camp kremlin moreover said nothing found far indicates trump authorized even aware contacts there may anything improper contacts current law enforcement official stressed pusher offered march interviewed senate intelligence committee also investigating russia attempts interfere last year election the contacts trump campaign associates russian officials presidential campaign coincided intelligence agencies concluded kremlin effort computer hacking fake news propaganda boost trump chances winning white house damage democratic opponent hillary clinton politicsnews