Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is the “senior official” who told Michael Flynn to contact Russian officials around Dec. 22, 2016, according to reports.
Flynn, who was a senior Trump campaign advisor at the time, pleaded guilty earlier on Friday to lying to the FBI about contacts with Russia’s ambassador, and prosecutors said he consulted with a senior official in Trump’s presidential transition team before speaking to the envoy.
Kushner told Flynn to contact the Russians over a UN resolution regarding Israel, NBC News reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the matter. An official who worked with Trump’s transition team confirmed media reports that Kushner was the official involved.
Neither Kushner nor his lawyer has commented on the allegations.
CNN reports that Flynn was told to contact officials from UN Security Council member countries to find out what their stance was on the resolution.
Another official not named was confirmed to be Former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland, two former Trump officials told the Associated Press.
She allegedly was helped Flynn decide what to say to Russian government officials about U.S. sanctions on Russia.
McFarland has been nominated by Trump to be the ambassador to Signapore.
READ MORE: Jared Kushner questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller’s team on Michael Flynn
In court filings, the Office of the Special Counsel said Flynn was charged with making false statements about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the United States.
The ex-Trump adviser who later briefly served as Trump’s national security adviser was forced to resign in February after the White House said Flynn had misled officials about whether he discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador.
WATCH: Trump attorney says Michael Flynn guilty plea does not ‘implicate anyone other than Flynn’
A White House lawyer issued a statement following the plea saying the charge affects Flynn and only Flynn.
“Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn,” said Ty Cobb, a White House attorney. “The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year.”
*with files from Global News’ Adam Frisk and Reuters
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