Christ, these people

Smug bastard, Jared Kushner, had an interview.

In a remarkable interview with Axios on HBO, Jared Kushner, a senior advisor in the White House (and, coincidentally, the president's son-in-law), made a number of notable statements. Among them is his ambivalence regarding how he might handle a Russian approach (akin to the infamous Trump Tower meeting) if it were to happen again. Asked if he would call the FBI in similar circumstance, Kushner responded: "I don't know. It's hard to do hypotheticals, but the reality is is that we were not given anything that was salacious."

Let's be clear—that's the wrong answer. I will limit this discussion to legal obligations; the moral failings are self-evident. Even if Kushner had no legal obligation to report the Russian contacts in 2016 when he was a private citizen, he no longer is. At the direction of the president, he now holds a top-secret (TS) clearance. And with that clearance comes a legal obligation to notify relevant authorities in the FBI and White House regarding suspicious foreign contacts.

[...]

As one summary puts it: "All cleared personnel must report contacts with individuals of any foreign nationality, either within or outside the scope of their official activities, in which: 'Illegal or unauthorized access is sought to classified or otherwise sensitive information [or] The employee is concerned that he/she may be the target of actual or attempted exploitation by a foreign entity.'"


The language of Security Executive Agent Directive 3, which sets up a uniform reporting system across government for all cleared employees provides a bit more detail. It requires reporting any contact:

• With a known or suspected foreign intelligence entity
• Continuing association with known foreign nationals [including] any contact that involves the exchange of personal information. This requirement applies regardless of where or how the contact was made (personal contact, Internet, etc.)
• Following initial reporting of the contacts, updates regarding continuing unofficial association [involving] significant changes in the nature of the contact.
• Suspicious interactions, activity or unexpected events when ... meeting foreign nationals on official business.

[...]

So, this isn't a hypothetical; its a legal obligation. [...] Either he doesn't know that, in which case he needs a refresher briefing on security procedures, or he does, but doesn't care.

  Lawfare Blog

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.