« Look, let’s let this unfold, » said Sen. Bob Corker on Meet the Press Sunday.
Sen. Bob Corker on Meet the Press Sunday said presidential adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner was « more than willing to answer any and all questions » following reports of his meetings with Russian officials.
« They reached out to us yesterday to make sure we knew that was the case, » Corker said.
But Corker, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, indicated he felt no urgency in posing those questions. Kushner would speak « when the time is right, » he said.
« Look, let’s let this unfold, » he said. « He seems to me to be a very open person and again, I’d let him speak for himself when the time is right on all these issues and at that time we can actually render judgement on the reality of what did or didn’t take place. »
Corker said it appears to him that Kushner is « not a target, so I think I would just wait. »
The Washington Post reported Friday that Kushner and Russian Ambassador Surgey Kislyak met at Trump Tower in December to discuss the possibility of setting up secret, back-channel communications between Trump’s transition team and officials in Moscow.
More: Kushner, Russians discussed secret communication link, reports say
The report was the latest to emerge about discussions between President Donald Trump’s inner circle and Russian officials. Those communications both during the campaign and the White House transition are now the subject of multiple Congressional and FBI probes that are examining Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Corker said Russia would be sanctioned for its interference in the elections — and its military intervention in Syria.
Corker said that at the request of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is in negotiations with Russian officials, Congress would wait for several weeks to take action on sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the Syrian conflict.
« Russia is going to be punished for what it did, in interfering in our elections, » he said.
But, « to wait a few weeks at the request of the secretary of state to see if he can change things in Syria seems to me to be an appropriate thing to do. That’s what we’ve done. But next work period we plan to take it up. »
Congress reconvenes the week of June 5.
Corker also separately praised President Donald Trump on his first official international trip since taking office, saying in a news release that it was « executed to near perfection. »
« President Trump should be commended on the success of this trip, » he said.
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