Trump Appoints Son-in-Law Charles Kushner as US Ambassador to France Despite Criminal Background

Donald Trump has nominated his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner, as the U.S. ambassador to France. Charles Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka and served as a senior advisor during Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021. Charles Kushner has a criminal history, having been sentenced to two years in prison in 2005 for a large fraud scheme. Trump pardoned him in December 2020, just before leaving office.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump praised Kushner as a “great business leader, philanthropist, and dealmaker” who will support American interests in France. Trump highlighted Kushner’s business successes but did not mention his legal troubles. Trump and Charles Kushner know each other through real estate circles. Their children married in 2009 and have three children together.

Charles Kushner founded Kushner Companies, a significant real estate firm. He pleaded guilty to 18 charges, including tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions, and was convicted in 2005. His conviction drew attention for its unusually lenient sentence. Chris Christie, a former U.S. Attorney, criticized the crimes committed by Charles Kushner and linked Jared Kushner to his departure from Trump’s transition team in 2016.

The investigation revealed troubling incidents, including Kushner’s alleged plan to blackmail a brother-in-law who cooperated with federal authorities. He hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law as part of this scheme, which he recorded covertly.

Jared Kushner, alongside Ivanka Trump, was a key advisor during Trump’s first term, despite lacking prior government or foreign policy experience. His business interests in the Middle East often raised concerns about his diplomatic role. He was involved in brokering the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and various Arab nations. Recently, Jared Kushner has also signed real estate agreements in Albania and Serbia to develop residential and hotel projects.