The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is demanding that Chairman James Comer subpoena former White House adviser Jared Kushner’s investment firm for documents related to “extraordinary financing” he received from the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia is making a $2 billion investment in former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law’s firm, Affinity Partners, in addition to $25 million a year in management fees, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member on the panel, said in a letter to Comer (R-Ky.) released Thursday.
Raskin also argued that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had “direct personal involvement” in securing the funding, raising “the high likelihood that there was a substantial quid pro quo.”
Attempts by Democrats on the oversight panel to obtain documents from Kushner related to his dealings with sovereign wealth funds controlled by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have so far been rebuffed, according to Raskin, who sought Comer’s subpoena power to compel their release.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee were unable to obtain documents from Kushner’s firm, according to Raskin.Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Comer led the panel’s investigation into President Biden’s role in foreign business dealings Hunter Biden.AP
Raskin’s request comes after Comer admitted earlier this month that he believed Kushner’s deal with Saudi Arabia, which was reportedly made six months after Trump left office, “crossed an ethical line.”
“I am encouraged by your recent admission that ‘what Kushner did crossed an ethical line’ and your repeated claims that our Committee is ‘investigating foreign nationals’ in an attempt to target and coerce family members of high ranking US officials by providing money or otherwise. benefits in exchange for certain actions,'” the Maryland Democrat wrote in the order letter.
“Therefore, I urge you to use the Committee’s subpoena power to compel Affinity to produce the information required by this Committee to conduct a full and fair investigation into whether Mr. Kushner improperly used his position as a senior government official to benefit his personal financial and business interests. — information Mr. Kushner and Affinity unreasonably refused to produce for over a year,” he added.
Aside from the Saudi Arabian investment, Raskin expressed concern about the $200 million in funding Affinity Partners reportedly received from the UAE and Qatar and reported that the firm’s more than $3 billion in assets under management are 99% “attributable to non-US clients. .”
Kushner, who was tasked with handling Middle East policy while in the White House, led efforts to implement the Abraham Accords, which led to four Arab countries establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.
Kushner’s firm received a $2 billion Saudi investment six months after Trump left office. Reuters
His firm struck a $2 billion deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund despite a review panel’s concerns about “inexperience” and a due diligence review that was “unsatisfactory in all respects,” according to meeting minutes reported by the New York Times.
The Saudi investment has drawn comparisons to Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings, into which Comer has led a wide-ranging congressional investigation, including examining President Biden’s role in the operation.
“I trust that you will recognize that the Committee cannot prosecute as ‘investigating foreign nationals’ attempts to target and coerce family members of high-ranking US officials by providing money or other benefits in exchange for certain actions’ without examining most of the former administration’s foreign financial problems, including President Trump’s acceptance of millions of dollars from foreign governments while in office, a flagrant violation of the foreign emoluments clause in the Constitution, and Ivanka Trump’s corresponding acceptance of fast-track trademark approvals from China and Japan while serving as a senior White House adviser, ” Raskin stated in the letter.
A spokesperson for House Oversight told The Post in a statement that the ranking member’s letter “is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s influence peddling scheme.”
“If Ranking Member Raskin really cared about ethics in government, then he would have joined the Republicans in our investigation of Biden’s blatant corruption. However, Ranking Member Raskin is only concerned about playing the Biden family’s advocate,” the spokesperson added.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
