WASHINGTON — Jared Kushner, son-in-law and senior adviser to President Donald Trump, faces potential conflicts of interest because he has not sold off all of his financial holdings, according to a published report.
ProPublica, an nonprofit investigative news site, reported that Kushner, who was raised in Livingston and married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, has financial dealings with foreign and domestic companies that could be affected by Trump administration policies.
In January, Kushner’s attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said he would sell off “substantial assets” and step down as CEO of Kushner Companies, his family’s real estate business, which was founded in Florham Park.
Americans concerned about Trump’s ethics
Spokesmen for the White House and Kushner Companies declined to tell ProPublica which investments Kushner has kept and which ones he has given up.
“What mechanism will the White House use to ensure that Kushner will not participate in matters that affect his retained financial interests?” Kathleen Clark, an ethics law expert and professor at Washington University School of Law, told ProPublica. “We, the public, should have information about what types of matters Kushner is going to have to recuse from.”
Trump, who broke with decades of precedent and refused to release his income tax returns, faces his own ethical concerns.
His decision to keep his businesses while letting his sons run them “does not comport with the tradition of our presidents over the past 40 years,” according to the head of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter M. Shaub Jr.
Kushner has a history with Gov. Chris Christie.
As U.S attorney, Christie prosecuted Kushner’s father, Charles, who was convicted of tax evasion, witness tampering, and illegal campaign donations, spending two years in prison.
Kushner has denied reports that he was responsible for Christie being removed as chairman of Trump’s transition team and then for blocking the New Jersey governor from a top position in the new administration.
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
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