Wyden spearheads Senate Democrats’ probe into Jared Kushner’s private equity firm

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is leading a Senate investigation into Jared Kushner’s Saudi-backed private equity firm as the former president’s son-in-law faces allegations he profited off his proximity to the White House.

Kushner created Affinity Partners after he left his role as senior adviser to his father-in-law, former President Donald Trump. In April 2022, Kushner came under scrutiny after revelations he scored a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince just six months after leaving the White House.

As a member of the Senate’s Democratic majority, Wyden is trying to garner enough votes to subpoena documents relevant to Kushner’s role in Affinity Partners. Wyden and other Democratic leaders have expressed concern Kushner began planning for his next entrepreneurial venture with foreign governments while still serving as a White House adviser.

Last week, Wyden sent a letter to Affinity Partners, expressing concern that the majority of Affinity’s fund capital allegedly comes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

“It is deeply concerning that several Middle Eastern governments are using funds managed by Affinity as a means to pay tens of millions of dollars in fees every year to former President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner,” Wyden said. The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee added that Kushner’s actions amounted to “significant conflicts of interest.”

Earlier this spring, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, urged Congress to hold a hearing on allegations Kushner was profiting off his famous father-in-law.

At the time, Republicans on the committee argued Kushner had “a career as a business executive that predates Donald Trump’s political career.”

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As no laws prohibit Kushner’s business dealings with the Saudis, evidence gathered against the former White House adviser so far is circumstantial.

Kushner most recently denied any allegations of impropriety in February while saying he did not plan to return to the White House should Trump win a second term.