The law enforcement investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign has identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter.

The senior White House adviser under scrutiny by investigators is someone close to the president, according to these people, who would not further identify the official.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3627804&forum_id=2#33405864)

--WAPO: "Russian ambassador told Moscow that Kushner wanted secret communications channel with Kremlin," by Ellen Nakashima, Adam Entous and Greg Miller: "Jared Kushner and Russia's ambassador to Washington discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trump's transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring, according to U.S. officials briefed on intelligence reports.

"Ambassador Sergey Kislyak reported to his superiors in Moscow that Kushner, son-in-law and confidant to then-President-elect Trump, made the proposal during a meeting on Dec. 1 or 2 at Trump Tower, according to intercepts of Russian communications that were reviewed by U.S. officials. Kislyak said Kushner suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States for the communications. The meeting also was attended by Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser.

"The White House disclosed the meeting only in March, playing down its significance. But people familiar with the matter say the FBI now considers the encounter, as well as another meeting Kushner had with a Russian banker, to be of investigative interest. Kislyak reportedly was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate - a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team." http://wapo.st/2rrNteO

-- BEHIND THE SCENES: "The Post was first alerted in mid-December to the meeting by an anonymous letter, which said, among other things, that Kushner had talked to Kislyak about setting up the communications channel. This week, officials who reviewed the letter ... said the portion about the secret channel was consistent with their understanding of events."

--@nycsouthpaw: "Greg Miller says on MSNBC the anonymous letter came to Ellen Nakashima and appeared to have come from someone inside the transition."

--NYT's Maggie Haberman, Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo: "It is unclear who first proposed the communications channel, but the people familiar with the meeting said the idea was to have Mr. Flynn speak directly with a senior military official in Moscow to discuss Syria and other security issues. The communications channel was never set up, the people said." http://nyti.ms/2qtJute

-- REUTERS: "Exclusive: Trump son-in-law had undisclosed contacts with Russian envoy - sources," by Ned Parker and Jonathan Landay: "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. ... 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." http://reut.rs/2rIxkS6

-- KUSHNER'S LAWYER RESPOND: "'Mr. Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period. He has no recollection of the calls as described,' Kushner's lawyer Jamie Gorelick [of WilmerHale] told POLITICO in a statement, responding to a Reuters report about Kushner's contacts with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. '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.'" http://politi.co/2qtFR6K

-- THIS IS GETTING BAD FOR JARED. And there's no shortage of snickering from haters and detractors inside Trump's White House.

-- BOB COSTA IN ON THE ACTION: "Senate Intelligence Committee requests Trump campaign documents": "The Senate Intelligence Committee ... has asked President Trump's political organization to gather and produce all Russia-related documents, emails and phone records going back to his campaign's launch in June 2015, according to two people briefed on the request.

"The letter from the Senate arrived at Trump's campaign committee last week and was addressed to the group's treasurer. Since then, some former staffers have been notified and asked to cooperate ... The demand follows a Senate request months earlier for the campaign committee to preserve documents. Dozens of former staffers are expected to be contacted in the coming days to make sure they are aware of what they are required to produce and how to submit those documents." http://wapo.st/2s1f2sG

-- NYT, TOO: "Russian Once Tied to Trump Aide Seeks Immunity to Cooperate With Congress," by Barry Meier and Jesse Drucker: "Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian oligarch once close to President Trump's former campaign manager, has offered to cooperate with congressional committees investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but lawmakers are unwilling to accept his conditions, according to congressional officials. Mr. Deripaska's offer comes amid increased attention to his ties to Paul Manafort, who is one of several Trump associates under F.B.I. scrutiny for possible collusion with Russia during the presidential campaign. ... Senate and House panels turned him down because of concerns that immunity agreements create complications for federal criminal investigators." http://nyti.ms/2rrDA0Q

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3627804&forum_id=2#33407993)