Dem hits Kushner for not answering questions on real estate project: What do you have to hide?
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) is slamming President Trump’s son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, after he apparently failed to answer congressional questions about one of his family company’s buildings.
Lieu’s Thursday statement, he said, came after Kushner refused to answer a letter that sought a response by Tuesday.
“I led my colleagues in asking two simple questions: did Mr. Kushner have any discussions with foreign nationals about 666 Fifth Avenue? And, if so, did Mr. Kushner discuss anything related to helping finance, purchase, or assist with the debt on 666 Fifth Avenue? These are straightforward questions but we still haven’t received an answer,” Lieu said. “What is Mr. Kushner hiding?”
{mosads}Lieu and twelve other members of Congress wrote to Kushner last week seeking information about the Kushner Companies property in Manhattan.
“We are concerned that you may be leveraging your White House position to seek financial assistance for 666 Fifth Avenue, which according to various reports has at least $1.2 billion in debt of which more than half is owned by Kushner Cos.,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
Kushner Companies bought the 666 Fifth Avenue property for $1.8 billion in 2007. Before resigning his role at the company to join Trump’s White House, Kushner introduced a $7.5 billion plan to redevelop the skyscraper and reportedly pursued foreign investments in the project, including from a Chinese firm.
In March, Congressional Democrats raised concerns over a proposed deal between Kushner Companies and Chinese-based Anbang Insurance Group to invest in the building, saying the potential deal could raise a “clear conflict of interest” for Kushner. The deal fell apart after both companies severed talks in late March.
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