PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump has nominated his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s dad, Charles Kushner, for a key diplomatic role.
The Republican said on Saturday that he wants the real estate developer to serve as ambassador to France in the latest pick.
GettyTrump speaks at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency[/caption]
GettyJosh Kushner (left), Charles Kushner (middle) and Jared Kushner (right) attend The New York Observer’s New Look[/caption]
GettyJared Kushner and Ivanka Trump attend the Costume Institute Gala in 2014[/caption]
Trump made the announcement in a gushing Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner a “tremendous business leader, philanthropist, and dealmaker.”
He added: “Congratulations to Charlie, his wonderful wife Seryl, their 4 children, and 14 grandchildren.
“Together, we will strengthen America’s partnership with France, our oldest Ally, and one of our greatest!”
Kushner – the son of a Holocaust survivor – is the founder of real estate firm Kushner Companies.
His son Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is also married to the President-elect’s eldest daughter Ivanka.
Jared previously worked on Operation Warp Speed, criminal justice reform and the Abraham Accords.
His dad Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.
The dad-of-four was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for the tax fraud conviction but only served 14 months in federal prison.
Charles was one of 26 people that Trump fully pardoned during his first term.
Prosecutors alleged that after Charles discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he plotted for revenge.
Kushner went as far as hiring a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, have it filmed with a hidden camera and the recording of any activity sent to his sister, the mans wife, prosecutors said.
Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering.
He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison.
This was the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the US attorney for New Jersey at the time had sought.
He said at the time: “No matter how rich and powerful you are or poor and unpowerful, if you have violated the federal law in the district of New Jersey or if you are corrupting our political system, this office will bring you to justice.
“Today, Charles Kushner was brought to justice.”
Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016.
He also has called Charles Kushners offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he had ever prosecuted.
When pardoning Charles, Trump said Jared’s dad had “devoted” himself to “important philanthropic organizations and causes” over the years.
Trump added at the time: “His record of reform and charity overshadows Mr. Kushner’s conviction and two year sentence for preparing false tax returns, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission.”
The President-elect didn’t mention Charles’ conviction or pardon in his announcement on Saturday.
Donald Trump’s Cabinet Picks
In the days following his dominant Election Day victory, President-elect Donald Trump has begun carving out his future administation.
Here’s a list of Trump’s confirmed cabinet picks:
Susie Wiles – White House Chief of Staff
Dr. Mehmet Oz – Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Stephen Miller – Deputy Chief of Staff
Bill McGinley – White House counsel
Tom Homan – “Border Czar”
Elise Stefanik – Ambassador to the United Nations
Lee Zeldin – Environmental Protection Agency administrator
Marco Rubio – Secretary of State
Kristi Noem – Homeland Security Secretary
Mike Huckabee – Ambassador to Israel
John Ratcliffe – CIA director
Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense
Mike Waltz – National Security Advisor
Steven Witkoff – Middle East envoy
Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy – Department of Government Efficiency
Tim Scott – Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
Tulsi Gabbard – Director of National Intelligence
Matt Gaetz – nominated for Attorney General but later refused the position
Pam Bondi – nominated for Attorney general just hours after Gaetz’s withdrawal
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
Jay Clayton – US Attorney for the Southern District of New York
Doug Burgum – Department of Interior
Todd Blanche – Deputy Attorney General
Karoline Leavitt – White House Press Secretary
Chris Wright – Energy Secretary
Doug Collins – Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs
William McGinley – White House Counsel
Steven Cheung – White House Communications Director
William Owen Scharf – Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary
Dean John Sauer – Solicitor General of the US
Commissioner Brendan Carr – Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Linda McMahon: Education Secretary
Matthew Whitaker – NATO ambassador
Scott Bessent – Treasury Secretary
Keith Kellogg – Special envoy to Russia, Ukraine
APCharles Kushner arrives for the funeral of Ivana Trump in 2022[/caption]
GettyJD Vance from left, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
