Donald Trump has chosen the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Charles Kushner, to serve as the next US ambassador to France, the president-elect announced on Saturday.
Trump described Charles Kushner as a very successful business leader, philanthropist and businessman, with extensive experience in the real estate industry.
“I am pleased to nominate Charles Kushner, from New Jersey, to serve as the United States Ambassador to France. He is a brilliant business leader, philanthropist, & entrepreneur, who is a strong advocate for our Country and its interests,” Trump wrote in a True Social post.
The president-elect also noted the relationship with Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka. “His son, Jared, worked with me in the White House, particularly on Operation Warp Speed, Criminal Justice Reform, & the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote in his letter.
Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in 2020 following a 2005 conviction on federal charges. Chris Christie, who led the case as US attorney for New Jersey, said in 2019 that Kushner had committed “one of the most heinous and heinous crimes” he had prosecuted.
Kushner, who was under investigation at the time for illegal donations, targeted his son-in-law, William Schulder, a former employee who became a witness for federal prosecutors in their case against the Democratic donor. As part of the plan, Kushner hired a prostitute to lure Schulder into having sex in a motel as a hidden camera was rolled. The meeting tape was then sent to Kushner’s sister and Schulder’s wife. In the end, the threat failed, and the woman turned on Kushner.
Kushner pleaded guilty in 2005 to 16 counts of tax evasion, one count of tampering with a federal witness and one count of lying to the Federal Election Commission. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
Trump’s announcement comes as Jared Kushner said he does not plan to serve in the president’s second term. Kushner said at an event in Miami in February that he had been “very clear” in his desire to focus on his private company “at this stage” in his life.
Kushner, however, is seen as important to the incoming Middle East administration’s efforts, even if he does not take an official role in it, state officials and Trump allies told CNN earlier this month.
Since Trump left office in 2021, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have moved to Miami and largely withdrawn from politics. Kushner started an investment fund, Affinity Partners, just out of Washington with major support from sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf.
During the first Trump administration, Kushner’s fingers were on many, if not all, of the administration’s agendas, including immigration, relations with China, the Middle East and the White House’s coronavirus response.
This article has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Gregory Krieg, Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood and Ali Main contributed this report.
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