Probe Kushner

Two Democratic Hill leaders ask Garland to appoint special counsel to probe Kushner

Ron Wyden and Jamie Raskin want an investigation into if he’s violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act over funding from Saudi Arabia.

Jordain Carney

Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the House Oversight panel’s top Democrat, asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The two senior Democrats sent a letter on Thursday to Garland, urging the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate if Kushner had violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act. They point, among other things, to Saudi government-linked investors for his firm and reports that Kushner is playing an informal advisory role to Trump’s campaign.

The letter comes after Wyden also sent a letter last month to Kushner’s investment firm, asking for details on its funding from foreign sources, as part of an ongoing congressional investigation. Wyden announced in June that he was launching a new investigation into Kushner’s firm.

“The scale of these undisclosed foreign payments to Mr. Kushner coupled with the national security implications of his apparent ongoing efforts to sell political influence to the highest foreign bidder are unprecedented and demand action from DOJ,” they wrote in the letter to Garland. “We therefore urge you to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate whether Mr. Kushner is influencing U.S. domestic and foreign policy on behalf of foreign government clients without making the appropriate mandatory disclosures.”

The Justice Department confirmed receipt of the letter but otherwise declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Kushner said in a statement: “This is a desperate attempt by partisan Democrats to manufacture an issue where none exists 12 days before an election.”

“Jared runs an SEC registered fund that abides by all laws and regulations,” the spokesperson added.