WASHINGTON, D.C.—Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF) today requested that the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General investigate the appointment of Jared Kushner as Special Envoy for Peace and any actions he has taken in that role. The complaint alleges that Kushner’s appointment likely violates the anti-nepotism statute and creates grave and unprecedented conflicts of interest given that Kushner’s company, Affinity Partners, has received billions of dollars in investments from countries in the Middle East.

DDF’s complaint raises serious concerns about Kushner’s appointment at the same time that he had been participating in negotiations related to the Iran nuclear program, which has escalated into an illegal war. Against the backdrop of this unprecedented, unilateral war, the public interest in transparency and conflict-free decision-making is only growing more urgent.

“Like nearly every other member of the Trump family, Jared Kushner’s wealth has grown immensely since his father-in-law first took office. It is unfathomable that now, with deep financial interests in the Middle East, he has been appointed to this position,”  said Virginia Canter, Chief Counsel and Director of Ethics and Anti-Corruption at DDF. “With conflicts this deep, the American people cannot be confident Kushner is putting the country’s interests ahead of his own bottom line. There must be a thorough investigation into his appointment and a full accounting of his actions in the role.”

The complaint describes Kushner’s extensive financial ties in the Middle East, including relationships with the sovereign wealth funds of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. It explains how those relationships create profound conflicts of interest for someone tasked with negotiating in the region, and raises the risk that Kushner could violate the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which bars federal officials from accepting anything of value or benefit from a foreign government.

“Our Founders understood that foreign powers would try to influence officers of the United States. That is why federal officials cannot accept gifts, payments, or other benefits from foreign governments,” said Christopher Swartz, Senior Ethics Counsel at DDF, “Kushner has deep financial ties to Middle East governments through his personal investment firm. Asking the public to ignore those entanglements while Kushner participates in negotiations concerning Iran, the Gaza Strip, and potentially other Middle East countries is quite a tall order.”

The full complaint is available here.

#          #          #

Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.