Charles Kushner Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador Despite Criminal Past
In a recent Senate vote, nearly all Republican members supported the confirmation of Charles Kushner, a convicted felon, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco. The decision was made official on Monday.
Nominated by President Donald Trump late last year, Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. The announcement of his nomination was made via social media, where Trump expressed confidence in Kushner’s capabilities. “I am pleased to nominate Charles Kushner, of New Jersey, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to France,” Trump stated. “He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests.”
Charles Kushner is recognized as the co-founder of Kushner Companies LLC, a real estate enterprise primarily operating in the tri-state area. His career began with a real estate portfolio he inherited from his father.
However, Kushner’s past includes legal troubles. In 2004, he was investigated for tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions. Complications arose when his brother-in-law, William Schulder, started cooperating with federal investigators. In response, Kushner hired a prostitute to entrap Schulder, creating blackmail material. This led to Kushner pleading guilty in 2005 to 18 counts, including witness tampering, resulting in a two-year prison sentence.
Kushner’s prosecution was led by then U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, who later became New Jersey’s governor and a presidential candidate. Christie, who briefly headed Trump’s White House transition team, was removed from the position, reportedly due to Jared Kushner’s influence. In his 2019 book Let Me Finish, Christie alleged that his removal was retaliation for prosecuting Kushner’s father. In a PBS interview, Christie defended the prosecution, stating, “If a guy hires a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, and video tapes it, and then sends the video tape to his sister to attempt to intimidate her from testifying before a grand jury, do I really need any more justification than that? It’s one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted.”
In December 2020, Trump granted Kushner a full pardon.
Despite the controversy, only Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski opposed Kushner’s nomination among Republicans, while New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was the lone Democrat to support it.
The White House has not offered a response to inquiries regarding Kushner’s confirmation.
For more information, the original article can be found at American Journal News.
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