Trump chooses Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, as ambassador to France

() – Donald Trump chose his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, to be the next US ambassador to France, the president-elect announced this Saturday.

Trump described Charles Kushner as a highly successful business leader, philanthropist and dealmaker, with deep experience in the real estate industry.

“I am pleased to name Charles Kushner of New Jersey as the United States Ambassador to France. “He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist and negotiator, who will be a strong advocate representing our country and its interests,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

The president-elect also highlighted the connection with Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. “Your son, Jared, worked closely with me in the White House, particularly on Operation Warp Speed, criminal justice reform, and the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.

Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in 2020 following a 2005 conviction on federal charges. Chris Christie, who led the case as the US attorney for New Jersey, said in 2019 that Kushner committed “one of the most detestable and repugnant crimes” he had ever prosecuted.

Kushner, who at the time was being investigated for making illegal campaign contributions, hatched a plan against his brother-in-law, William Schulder, a former employee who became a witness for federal prosecutors in the case against the Democratic donor. As part of the plot, Kushner hired a prostitute to trick Schulder into having sex at a motel while a hidden camera recorded. A tape of the encounter was then sent to Kushner’s sister and Schulder’s wife. Finally, the intimidation maneuver failed and the woman turned against Kushner.

Kushner pleaded guilty in 2005 to 16 counts of tax evasion, one count of retaliation against a federal witness and another count of lying to the Federal Election Commission. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Trump’s announcement comes as Jared Kushner has said that does not plan to have a position in the second government of the president-elect. Kushner said at an event in Miami in February that he has been “very clear” in his desire to focus on his private equity firm “in this phase” of his life.

However, Kushner is considered critical to the next administration’s efforts in the Middle East, although he is unlikely to take a formal job within it, regional diplomats and Trump allies said. to previously.

Since Trump left office in 2021, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have moved to Miami and they have largely left politics. Kushner founded an investment fund, Affinity Partners, shortly after leaving Washington with significant backing from Gulf sovereign wealth funds.

During Trump’s first term, Kushner’s fingerprints were on manyif not all, of the administration’s agenda items, including immigration, relations with China, the Middle East and the government’s response to the coronavirus.

‘s Gregory Krieg, Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood and Ali Main contributed to this report.