Topline
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate Jared Kushner—a former senior White House adviser to his father-in-law Donald Trump—for possibly acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
Key Facts
Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Raskin, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said in a statement Thursday investigators found Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, has received more than $150 million since the end of Trump’s term from foreign clients “while generating no return on investment.”
The payments came as Kushner remained politically active, specifically on matters of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, the statement said.
The investigation found $87 million came from the Saudi government, and the company has only invested “a small fraction of funds it has received from the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.”
The letter also cites an Oct. 4 Reuters report alleging Kushner “discussed U.S.–Saudi diplomatic negotiations involving Israel with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman multiple times since leaving the Trump administration.”
The letter from the lawmakers to Garland said there is “substantial reason to believe that the Saudi government’s decision to engage Affinity for investment advice is a fig leaf for funneling money directly” to Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, noting that Kushner had no experience in private equity prior to starting Affinity.
Forbes has reached out to the DOJ for comment.
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Chief Critic
“There is no conflict of interest. During Trump’s four years in office, every decision he made was through the lens of what’s in the best interest of America. When re-elected, he’ll do the same,” Kushner said in a statement to Forbes. “Senator Wyden and Rep. Raskin are fortunate to be serving this country, and they should focus on the opportunity they have to positively impact people’s lives and not on silly political stunts. This letter is beneath the level of seriousness that both of their chambers deserve.”
Key Background
Wyden and Raskin also allege Kushner advised bin Salman on U.S. foreign policy, advised Trump on his campaign, arranged meetings with the Qatari prime minister in the U.S. and more—all while being paid by the Saudi government without registering as an agent. Kushner worked as senior White House adviser to Trump beginning in 2017, and Trump described him as “a tremendous asset and trusted adviser throughout the campaign and transition.” He set up Affinity Partners shortly after Trump left office in 2021, and it raised over $3 billion in capital by the following year, with about $2 billion coming directly from the Saudi Public Investment fund, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. Democrats tried to investigate the $2 billion investment in Kushner’s private firm earlier this year, but a subpoena was delayed by Republicans.
Crucial Quote
“For years I’ve been investigating Jared Kushner’s business deals with foreign governments,” Wyden said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He’s masquerading as an investment manager but the evidence I’ve seen makes him look like an unregistered foreign agent.”
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