Jared Kushner's use of his government role is under scrutiny after it emerged his family company secured more than $500 million in loans after financial executives met with him at the White House.

Mr Kushner, who is Donald Trump's son-in-law, stepped down as chief executive of his family company to take up his role as a senior adviser to the US president after the 2016 election victory.

However it has since emerged that last year his company secured two loans - $325 million from Citigroup and $184 million from Apollo Global Management - after executives from both firms visited him in the White House.

It is highly unusual for White House officials to conduct meetings with executives who are also engaged in significant private business dealings and Mr Kushner's judgement has been called into question by government ethics experts.

It comes as Mr Kushner was stripped of his access to “top secret” intelligence because he has failed to gain permanent security clearance more than a year in his role.

Mr Kushner's financial dealings and concerns that foreign governments might try to influence him are thought to have formed part of the delay in his background check.

The 37-year-old, who is married to Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka, previously headed up the family business Kushner Companies before passing control on to relatives when he entered the White House.