Democrats call for special counsel probe into Kushner over Saudi ties

Senior Democrats in the House and Senate are calling on the Justice Department to investigate former President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor in the White House, Jared Kushner, over possible violations related to lobbying for a foreign government. 

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, sent a letter Thursday to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking him to appoint a special counsel to investigate Kushner’s ties to Saudi Arabia. 

The lawmakers describe Kushner as acting as a “Shadow Diplomat” and political advisor to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in exchange for at least $87 billion paid out to Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners.  

The Hill sent a request for comment to Kushner through Affinity’s website. 

The lawmakers raise alarm that Kushner failed to make disclosures under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a federal law that requires American citizens working to influence public opinion, politics or policy for a foreign government to disclose their activities to the Department of Justice. 

“The scale of these undisclosed foreign payments to Mr. Kushner coupled with the national security implications of his apparent ongoing efforts to sell political influence to the highest foreign bidder are unprecedented and demand action from DOJ,” the lawmakers wrote. 

“We therefore urge you to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate whether Mr. Kushner is influencing U.S. domestic and foreign policy on behalf of foreign government clients without making the appropriate mandatory disclosures, in a manner consistent with the Department’s longstanding policies regarding election year sensitivities.”

Kushner was a key advisor to Trump during his first term in office, head of the Middle East file and was working to establish ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel that failed to materialize before the November 2020 election. Kushner has earlier said he would not join a second Trump administration, but he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that he continues to play an informal advising role to his father-in-law, as well as communicating with lawmakers who are looking for his input “on a range of matters, from the Middle East to navigating Trump world at home.”

Wyden and Raskin cited the Wall Street Journal report, and other public reporting detailing Kushner discussing U.S.-Saudi diplomacy with the Saudi Crown Prince; his public comments that the lawmakers say is aimed at influencing U.S. policy in the Middle East; and his ties to a meeting between the Qatari prime minister and Jewish leaders in New York. 

The letter outlines concerns that Affinity Partners is solely owned by Kushner, and that a Senate Finance Committee investigation has found that the fund’s $3 billion have come largely from the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund, as well as the governments of Qatar, UAE and the Taiwanese billionaire Terry Gou. 

“Payments to Affinity are purportedly for ‘investment advisory services,’ but Mr. Kushner’s ongoing involvement in former President Trump’s campaign and efforts to influence U.S. foreign policy demand his immediate compliance with FARA. Mr. Kushner cannot legally act as a political consultant to former President Trump and the Saudi government while failing to disclose his Saudi government compensation to DOJ,” the lawmakers wrote. 

Wyden and Raskin say Kushner’s high profile and proximity to former President Trump warrant the appointment of a special counsel. 

“Enforcing FARA is essential to protecting our national security and ensuring that our political system remains free from malign foreign influence,” they wrote. 

“We trust that DOJ’s public servants would never succumb to influence; however, the appointment of a Special Counsel would reinforce confidence in the independence, thoroughness, and reliability of any investigation.”