Special counsel to probe whether Jared Kushner was functioning as Saudi foreign agent — US lawmakers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Democratic chair of the US Senate Finance Committee and a prominent Democratic congressman has asked the US attorney general to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Jared Kushner, former US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was functioning as an unregistered foreign agent for Saudi Arabia, according to a letter from the lawmakers.

The letter from US Senator Ron Wyden and US Representative Jamie Raskin cites an October 4 Reuters report that revealed that Kushner on multiple occasions had discussed US-Saudi diplomacy concerning Israel with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, since leaving government.

“This revelation is deeply disturbing, as Mr. Kushner appears to be influencing US foreign policy by acting as a political consultant to the Saudi government while also accepting their money,” Wyden and Raskin write in the eight-page letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. The letter has not been previously reported.

Saudi Arabia has invested $2 billion into a private equity fund, Affinity Partners, that Kushner, who was a top adviser on the Middle East during Trump’s administration, founded in 2021 after leaving government, according to congressional investigators.

In a statement, Kushner says, “There is no conflict of interest.” He dismisses the letter as “silly political stunts.”

The Department of Justice and the Saudi Arabian embassy do not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Saudi Arabia’s investments in Kushner’s fund have been criticized by ethics experts, Democrats in Congress and some Republicans, who have expressed concern that Saudi Arabia’s stake can look like a payoff since Kushner worked on Saudi issues before leaving Trump’s White House.

The October 4 Reuters report, quoting a source familiar with the discussions, said Kushner’s talks with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince included the process of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The source did not identify when the talks took place and whether they occurred before or after the start of the ongoing war in Gaza.