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Kushner & the House: Investigation or Inquisition?

The Democrat-controlled House is continuing to investigate how Jared Kushner received his security clearance despite alleged concerns that he could be under the influence of foreign figures.
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There have been reports over the past two years that he didn't disclose his business contacts in Israel and Russia, among others, which some in the FBI and CIA believed could have made him susceptible to blackmail. Nevertheless, other reports claim that President Trump personally intervened to ensure that his son-in-law received the clearance that he needed in order to be his personal Mideast envoy for negotiating the so-called "Deal of the Century". Should this have been the case, then it wouldn't necessarily be illegal, but it could be unethical.

The timing of this investigation isn't coincidental either, since it's a direct result of both the Democrats winning the House last November and the wrapping up of Mueller's Russiagate probe, the latter of which failed to provide any evidence of so-called collusion. This makes some observers wonder whether the investigation is actually more of an inquisition to continue putting pressure on the President ahead of the 2020 elections by advancing the narrative that some kind of illegal — or at the very least unethical — behavior took place between Trump and a foreign government, whether directly or indirectly, and be it Russia or Israel. Going after Trump's family might also be intended to get him to lose his cool.

As such, there are many issues to ponder, but a few of them are more relevant than others. Firstly, it's not yet known whether Trump's "deep state" foes were unfairly delaying Kushner's security clearance and possibly even impeding it, hence why the President might have been forced to intervene. Secondly, it's unclear what the specific concerns about Kushner's foreign ties are and whether they truly represent a possible security threat. With these two questions in mind, one also can't help but wonder whether any of this will influence the details contained within the "Deal of the Century", and it's also curious to speculate whether the timing of this investigation is intended to derail that deal before it ever gets off the ground.

Andrew Korybko is joined by Don Debar, host of a syndicated daily radio newscast CPR News heard across the US, and Matthew Farag, Chicago-based political commentator.

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