Trump says that he did not know about Kushner's WhatsApp messaging

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he did not know anything about White House son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was using the WhatsApp encrypted email tool, a day after an eminent member of the US Democratic Congress has questioned unofficial communications.

On Thursday, US House of Representatives Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings questioned the White House about Kushner's use of the unofficial messaging app as part of his work with the US House of Representatives. government.

In a letter to the White House, seen by Reuters, Cummings said that Kushner's lawyer had informed lawmakers of his use of WhatsApp for official purposes, which would violate the law in effect prohibiting law enforcers. White House to use unofficial email accounts.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving for the weekend, his private club in Florida, Mar-A-Lago, denied any knowledge of Kushner's unofficial communications.

"I do not know anything about it, I have never heard of it, I have never heard of it," said the Republican President.

In his letter on Thursday, Cummings said Kushner's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, had also told Congress that Ivanka Trump – the president's daughter, Kushner's wife and one of the key advisers from the White House – had continued to use a personal email account for its official activities. It would also violate the presidential law on archives.

Lowell, in a separate letter to Cummings, described as "not quite accurate" the description given by the chairman of the Democratic Committee about earlier comments.

The lawyer denied telling Congressmen that Kushner had communicated via any app with foreign 'leaders' or 'officials', but added that Kushner had used such applications to communicate with 'some people'. ", that he did not specify.

Lowell also denied asserting that Ivanka Trump continued to receive emails related to official business on a personal account. He added that Ivanka Trump "still transfers official business to her account at the White House".

In the 2016 presidential race, Trump criticized his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, for using a private messaging server while he was a secretary of state, which led to the 39, inspired at his gatherings to "lock him up". The FBI and the Justice Department investigated Clinton, but did not bring any charges.

Kushner's communications, particularly with foreign leaders, have been under surveillance since the presidential campaign and questions have been raised about his security clearance.

WhatsApp belongs to Facebook Inc.