The liberal mainstream media excitedly reported on Jared Kushner’s attempt to establish a secret channel of communication with Russia before the president took office.

Kushner met with Russian officials briefly in December as part of his role in the transition and as a diplomatic conduit to the State Department.

However, according to FOX News, it was the Russians who suggested setting up back-channel communications — NOT Jared Kushner.

Now, thanks to Wikileaks we know this was nothing new and the Obama Transition Team actually had back-channel communications as part of their transition strategy.

In August of 2008, the Obama transition team planned “President elect and senior officials (to) begin confidential policy consultations with key actors in US and abroad” for the time period from THANKSGIVING (2008) TO INAUGURATION DAY (2009). It is in the attachment, Phase Three, Item #3.

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The information was posted by Wikileaks from the leaked John Podesta emails.

August 6, 2008: original email from James B. Steinberg to Susan Rice, to John Podesta, then to Chris Lu (executive director of Obama/Biden Transition).

The attachment was written by Jim Steinberg, who was being considered “at the top” of Obama’s list of candidates for National Security Advisor, but was eventually appointed by Hillary Clinton as Deputy Secretary of State (and principal Deputy to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton).

Except below:

Also, there is several emails just days after the election, where the Obama Team discussed sending Madeleine Albright and former congressman Jim Leach as emissaries to the G20 summit in mid-November 2008.

The press releases say they were going to “listen to our friends and allies on his (Obama) behalf”.

They Obama emissaries met with Russian Ambassador Kislyak on the first day of the summit.