Former President Donald Trump has ignited a firestorm of controversy with his announcement nominating Charles Kushner, a prominent real estate developer and father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as the next US Ambassador to France. The announcement, delivered via a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform, has sent shockwaves through political circles and reignited discussions surrounding Kushner’s complex and controversial past.
Trump’s post lauded Kushner as a “tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker,” emphasizing his extensive career in both the private and public sectors. He highlighted Kushner’s role as Founder and Chairman of Kushner Companies, describing it as one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held real estate firms. Trump also pointed to Kushner’s impressive list of accolades, including recognition as New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and his service on prominent boards such as the US Holocaust Memorial Council and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he held the chairmanship. The post also extended praise to Kushner’s family, including his wife, Seryl, their four children, and fourteen grandchildren. The mention of Jared Kushner, who served as a senior advisor in the Trump White House and played a significant role in initiatives like Operation Warp Speed, criminal justice reform, and the Abraham Accords, served to further contextualize the nomination.
However, the nomination is far from without its detractors. Central to the controversy is Kushner’s well-documented criminal history. In 2005, he was sentenced to two years in prison – the maximum under his plea agreement – for a range of serious offenses including tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions, and witness tampering. The details of his crimes are particularly egregious. Prosecutors alleged that Kushner orchestrated a meticulously planned revenge scheme against his brother-in-law, who was cooperating with federal authorities. This scheme involved hiring a prostitute to entrap his brother-in-law, secretly recording the encounter, and subsequently sending the recording to his sister, the brother-in-law’s wife. The case, prosecuted by then-US Attorney for New Jersey Chris Christie (later Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate), attracted significant media attention. Christie himself has described Kushner’s actions as “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted.”
Adding another layer to this complex narrative is the fact that Kushner received a full pardon from President Trump in December 2020, during the final weeks of his presidency. This pardon, granted amidst a flurry of last-minute pardons, has now become a central point of contention in the current debate surrounding his nomination. The decision to nominate a man with such a history for a prestigious diplomatic post is certain to spark intense political debate and scrutiny in the coming weeks and months. The question remains: will Kushner’s business acumen and past accomplishments outweigh his highly publicized criminal past in the eyes of the Senate confirmation process?
