Two prominent Democratic lawmakers have called on the Justice Department to investigate former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, over allegations of undisclosed foreign payments and potential influence peddling. Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden of Oregon and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday, requesting that a special counsel be appointed to probe Kushner’s business dealings with Saudi Arabia.
The lawmakers claim that Kushner, while serving as a political consultant to Trump and acting as a shadow diplomat and advisor to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has failed to disclose millions of dollars in payments from entities owned and controlled by the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Wyden and Raskin argue that these disclosures are required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which demands transparency from individuals involved in foreign lobbying activities.
The Democrats maintain that Kushner’s undisclosed foreign payments and alleged efforts to sell influence to foreign governments are unprecedented and raise significant national security concerns. They urge the Justice Department to take swift action, saying that Kushner’s actions “demand action from DOJ” and that a special counsel should be appointed to investigate.
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for Kushner told Politico that he runs a SEC-registered fund that complies with all laws and regulations. The spokesperson dismissed the move by Wyden and Raskin as a “desperate attempt by partisan Democrats to manufacture an issue” just 12 days before an election.
