President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is facing a federal lawsuit alleging he wields enormous government power across some of the world’s most consequential conflicts without ever being confirmed by the Senate or filing a financial disclosure — all while running a private investment firm with over $6 billion in assets drawn mainly from foreign sovereign wealth funds.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, argues Kushner has functioned as one of America’s top diplomats throughout President Trump’s second term, negotiating directly with foreign heads of state on conflicts involving Israel, Hamas, Ukraine, Russia, and Iran — all without undergoing the vetting the Constitution requires for such a role.
The complaint lays out an extensive record of Kushner’s diplomatic activities, including meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Iranian officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified to Congress that he speaks with Kushner and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff roughly ten times a day.
Trump himself has publicly called Kushner an “envoy of peace” and said he brings him in “when we want to get that deal closed.”
The conflict of interest concerns are stark. Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, manages investments for the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — governments deeply involved in the peace negotiations Kushner is personally conducting on behalf of the United States. According to the filing, Affinity collects roughly $60 million per year in management fees from these foreign clients.
Kushner has claimed he is merely a volunteer, not a government official, and therefore not subject to financial disclosure requirements. CREW argues that defense does not hold up legally, noting that his diplomatic partner Witkoff — who also works without a salary — has filed the required disclosures.
The suit asks the court to either bar Kushner from continuing to exercise government authority until he is properly confirmed by the Senate, or order him to immediately file all financial disclosures required by law.