Jared Kushner

Kushner again became a major US foreign policy negotiator during Trump's second term, working with Steve Witkoff on Gaza, Iran and Ukraine while remaining linked to Affinity Partners and its substantial foreign investors. In April 2026, Democrat Jamie Raskin opened a congressional investigation seeking documents about these financial ties and potential conflicts of interest. In early September, Kushner and Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in Moscow and then Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv as part of peace efforts, without any major public breakthrough by 9 September.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Kushner-backed tourism resort projects in Albania, notably around Sazan and the Zvërnec area, provoked environmental opposition and land disputes. In 2026, Reuters reported that villagers claimed ownership of part of the land and that a seller, Artur Shehu, was being investigated over the authenticity of property titles and other suspected criminal activity. Significant demonstrations took place. In August, Democrat Jamie Raskin expanded his congressional inquiry to the purchase of Albanian land.

Attribution

Indirectly implicated

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

After leaving the White House, Kushner founded Affinity Partners. Approximately six months later, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund committed $2 billion to the fund. In 2022, the House opened an investigation into whether he had benefited from his relationships or public positions. In 2024, Democratic lawmakers requested a special DOJ review; by March 2025, Affinity managed approximately $4.8 billion following further contributions including from Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Directly implicated

A company linked to Affinity planned to redevelop the former Yugoslav army headquarters in Belgrade into a hotel and property complex. The project prompted demonstrations and substantial controversy over the removal of the site's heritage protection. Serbian prosecutors subsequently charged several officials, including a minister, in a case concerning an allegedly falsified document used in the process. The company linked to Kushner abandoned the project in December 2025.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Indirectly implicated

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Kushner led the preparation of the Trump administration's Middle East peace plan. Its economic component, presented in Bahrain in 2019, was boycotted by Palestinian leaders, while the political plan unveiled in January 2020 was rejected by the Palestinian Authority, which considered it heavily favourable to Israeli positions and inadequate regarding Jerusalem, borders and settlements.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Directly implicated

Kushner led an ad hoc team involving private-sector participants in procurement and testing during the early months of COVID-19. In April, he stated that the federal stockpile was 'our stockpile', not the states' stockpile; the federal website was subsequently reworded, fuelling allegations of confusion over the stockpile's purpose. A Vanity Fair investigation also described a federal national testing proposal that had been developed and then abandoned.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Kushner's initial SF-86 form listed no foreign contacts; he subsequently submitted several amendments covering more than a hundred contacts with nationals of over twenty countries. His access was temporarily restricted in 2018. Press reports later indicated that Donald Trump had ordered his top-secret clearance to be granted despite reservations from security officials.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Protagonist is the complainant

Kushner maintained a close personal relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and played a major role in the Trump administration's policy towards Riyadh. Following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018, Reuters reported that Kushner was among the advisers favouring a cautious response rather than a break with the Crown Prince.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Close aide

During the Trump transition, Kushner met Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and banker Sergey Gorkov, head of VEB. The Mueller report documents that he asked Kislyak whether there was a way to communicate with Russian generals using secure facilities and that he subsequently met Gorkov. These contacts were examined during investigations into Russian interference.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Attribution

Directly implicated

Kushner Companies sought to refinance or restructure its heavily indebted 666 Fifth Avenue property. During the transition and early Trump administration, discussions with Chinese insurer Anbang attracted attention because Kushner had just entered the White House and the transaction would have linked his family company to a major Chinese entity. The Anbang talks ultimately ended; Kushner had divested his stake in the property.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Indirectly implicated

Donald Trump appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner as a senior adviser at the White House, immediately triggering controversy over federal anti-nepotism law and conflicts between his public responsibilities and family property assets. Kushner agreed to serve without a salary and announced divestments and recusals concerning certain assets.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated