US lawmakers asked the FBI to investigate White House adviser Jared Kouchner to see if he had leaked confidential information to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Newsweek magazine reported Friday.
The request was presented by six Democratic lawmakers in the US Congress on Thursday to investigate Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, who has close ties to Bin Salman.
"We ask the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to open," said a letter from Democratic Rep. Ted Liu, Gerald Connolly, Donald Baer, Pramila Jayapal, Peter Welch and Robin Gallego to FBI director Christopher Ray. Immediate investigation, to determine whether these reports are accurate, and to what extent information and sources may have been disclosed within a settlement. "
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has the power to "protect confidential information," according to the letter, noting that "while the president has the power to declassify and exchange information, the president's adviser can not do so."
The crown prince told close associates that Kouchner had told him information about Saudi leaders "not loyal to him," three sources told The Interspace earlier this month, while Ben Salman boasted that Kouchner was "in his pocket."
"We urge the FBI to investigate these allegations, and we appreciate your interest in this matter," the deputies told Ray.
During his visit to the United States this month, the Saudi crown prince attended dinner with Kouchner and other members of the Trump administration, a White House spokesman told Newsweek.
The White House was not immediately available for comment on the letter to the FBI, the magazine said.
Kouchner, who holds a broad portfolio that includes a US peace plan in the Middle East, "Deal of the Century", saw a reduction in his top security powers last month.
In February, Kouchner was barred from attending the daily US intelligence briefing to the president, the most important intelligence report, with the White House imposing more controls on access to secrets.
Trump's involvement has been implicated in other files, including the investigation by the State Ethics Office into the use of loans by Kouchner after meetings with bankers in his official capacity at the White House.
Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamurti on Thursday called on White House lawyer Don McGinn to clarify whether his office "misled or misled" the State Ethics Office about the investigation.
