October 24,2024

Wyden, Raskin Call for Department of Justice to Appoint a Special Counsel to Investigate Jared Kushner for Acting as an Unregistered Foreign Agent

Kushner Acted as a “Shadow Diplomat” and Political Adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Who Directed Billions in Saudi Funds to Kushner-Owned Affinity Partners

Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-M.D.) called today on Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by Jared Kushner, son-in-law and former senior White House advisor to ex-President Donald Trump. As part of investigations launched last Congress by House and Senate Democrats, Senate investigators have uncovered that since the end of the Trump administration through mid-2024, Kushner’s firm Affinity Partners has received as much as $157 million in fees from foreign clients—including $87 million from the Saudi government—while generating no return on investment, paying zero earnings to investors, and investing only a small fraction of funds it has received from the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Public reports indicate that Kushner remained politically active throughout that time period, particularly on matters of U.S. foreign policy related to the Middle East. 

“While on the Saudi government’s payroll, Mr. Kushner is simultaneously serving as a political consultant to former President Trump and acting as a shadow diplomat and political advisor to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and other foreign principals. Despite being engaged in plainly political activities, Mr. Kushner has not made FARA disclosures to DOJ related to the millions of dollars he receives annually by entities owned and controlled by the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar,” Wyden and Raskin wrote. “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.”

FARA is designed to ensure that the American public and lawmakers are made aware of foreign efforts to influence U.S. public opinion and political activities, and requires individuals acting as an “agent of a foreign principal” to register with DOJ. In their letter, Wyden and Raskin cite multiple examples of political activity Kushner engaged in while being paid by the Saudi government and other Gulf states without registering under FARA, in possible violation of federal law:  

  • Advising the Saudi Crown Prince on U.S. foreign policy; 
  • Advising former President Trump and his presidential campaign;
  • Selling geopolitical advisory and political advocacy services to foreign government clients through his private equity fund;
  • Arranging meetings on foreign policy with the Qatari prime minister on U.S. soil;
  • Engaging in political fundraising in support of Trump’s campaign; and
  • Influencing members of Congress on domestic and foreign policy.

The complete text of the letter to Attorney General Garland including further detail on Kushner’s political activities is available here.

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