Mueller using Kushner to connect the dots between Flynn and Russia: report

Special counsel Robert Mueller interviewed President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner earlier this month in an effort to build the federal case against disgraced former national security adviser Ret. Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, said Vanity Fair on Thursday.

Both CNN and The New York Times revealed on Wednesday that Mueller's questioning centered around Kushner's interactions with Flynn, including a pre-inauguration meeting that included Kushner, Flynn and Russian then-ambassador to the U.S. -- and alleged KGB spymaster -- Sergei Kislyak.

Kushner, Flynn and Kislyak met to discuss establishing a line of communication between the nascent Trump administration and the Kremlin, say reports. Mueller also asked Kushner about Flynn's other meetings with Russian officials and pressed the president's son-in-law to clarify statements he has made in the press and to government officials regarding the investigation into Russia's attempts to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.

Vanity Fair's Emily Jane Fox said that the relationship between Kushner and Flynn has come under special scrutiny by Mueller -- particularly with regards to the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Kushner was reportedly the strongest advocate for firing Comey in Trump's circle of advisers.

Observers say that the Flynn-related questioning is further proof that the special counsel is pressuring Flynn to flip and cooperate with the investigation. When Flynn's legal team abruptly stopped sharing information with Pres. Trump's lawyers last week, it was widely interpreted as a sign that the former national security adviser has chosen to cooperate with Mueller.

Read the full report here.