Here comes the Jared Kushner investigation
People are wondering whether Hunter Biden’s guilty plea will impact his father’s run for the presidency. It shouldn’t, and so far, it’s only been a blip on the radar. No, the presidential candidate who needs to be investigated is Donald Trump and his family. Finally, it appears that Jared Kushner’s instant billions will be investigated. According to HuffPost, Democrats-led by Ron Wyden (D-OR)-wants Kushner’s company Affinity Partners to explain its investment opportunities and asked for details, including the $2 billion windfall it received from Saudi Arabia in 2021. In his initial probe request, Wyden wrote: “Mr. Kushner’s limited track record as an investor, including his nonexistent experience in private equity or hedge funds, raise questions regarding the investment strategy behind the seeding investments and lucrative compensation that Affinity received from the Saudi PID and other sovereign wealth funds.”
Republicans spent untold sums of taxpayer dollars and time trying to create a link between President Biden and his son Hunter. They found nothing. They should have been spending their time looking at Trump-who they know is dirty-and his family, but he’s their master. They might have found something to work with. It looks like rather than trying to achieve peace in the Middle East, Kushner was looking for ways to line his pockets. That’s no surprise for a family that has a history of failed businesses.
The New York Times reported in 2022 that a panel that screens Saudi investments didn’t want Kusher. They said he was too inexperienced, but Mohammed bin Salman overruled them. That relationship seems mighty cozy, doesn’t it? Think back to how Trump swept Jamal Khashoggi’s murder under the rug. Wyden is on the same page, writing: “The Saudi PIF’s decision to invest $2 billion in Affinity so soon after Kushner’s departure from the Trump White House raises concerns that the investment was a reward for official actions Kushner took to benefit the Saudi government, including preventing accountability for the Saudi government ordering the brutal murder of journalist and America citizen Jamal Khashoggi.” That’s what everyone else-except Republicans, of course-thought from the beginning of this “investment.” It comes across as more payback than investment.
Wyden wrote to Affinity, requesting details of investments, which investments have been made, and fees it has received. He specifically asked how much Kushner has been paid. Democrats are serious about this investigation. According to HuffPost, even James Comer said that Kushner “crossed the line of ethics” in this deal with the Saudis. Hard to imagine Comer doing the right thing, but cliché aside, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck-you know the rest. Democrats have frequently criticized this deal and asked for information, but they have been ignored. As Chair, however, Wyden has more power, and it appears that he intends to use it.
While Republicans waste time and taxpayer dollars on investigations that are going nowhere, Democrats want to get to the bottom of Kushner’s sudden wealth. It certainly needs looking into, and unlike Republicans, Democrats won’t be wasting their time.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years