Democratic lawmaker urges Comer to subpoena Kushner’s firm over $2B Saudi investment

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is demanding that Chairman James Comer subpoena former White House adviser Jared Kushner’s investment firm for documents related to the “extraordinary funding” he received from the Middle East. 

Saudi Arabia made a $2 billion investment in former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law’s firm, Affinity Partners, in addition to $25 million per year in management fees, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member on the panel, stated in a letter to Comer (R-Ky.) released on Thursday. 

Raskin also argued that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had “direct personal involvement” in securing the funding, raising “the significant possibility that there was a large quid pro quo.”

Attempts by Democrats on the oversight panel to obtain documents from Kushner related to his dealings with sovereign wealth funds controlled by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have so far been rebuffed, according to Raskin, who is seeking Comer’s subpoena power to compel their release. 

Raskin’s request comes after Comer acknowledged earlier this month that he believes Kushner’s deal with Saudi Arabia, which was reportedly made six months after Trump left office, “crossed the line of ethics.”

“I am encouraged by your recent acknowledgment that ‘what Kushner did crossed the line of ethics’ and your repeated assertions that our Committee is ‘investigating foreign nationals’ attempts to target and coerce high-ranking U.S. officials’ family members by providing money or other benefits in exchange for certain actions,’” the Maryland Democrat writes in the missive. 

“I therefore urge you to use the  Committee’s subpoena power to compel Affinity to produce the information this Committee needs to conduct a full and fair investigation into whether Mr. Kushner improperly used his position as a senior government official to benefit his personal financial and business interests— information Mr. Kushner and Affinity have unjustifiably refused to produce for over a year,” he added.

Aside from the Saudi investment, Raskin expresses concern about the $200 million in funding Affinity Partners reportedly received from the UAE and Qatar and reports that the firm’s over $3 billion of assets under management are 99% “attributable to clients who are non-United States persons.”

Kushner, who was tasked with handling Middle East policy during his time in the White House, led efforts to implement the Abraham Accords, which led to four Arab states establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.

His firm made the $2 billion deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund despite a review panel’s concerns about “inexperience” and a due diligence review that was “unsatisfactory in all aspects,” according to meeting minutes reported by the New York Times.

The Saudi investment has drawn comparisons to Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings, which Comer has been leading a sprawling congressional investigation into, which includes examining President Biden’s role in the operation.

“I trust that you will recognize that the Committee cannot claim to be ’investigating foreign nationals’ attempts to target and coerce high-ranking U.S. officials’ family members by providing money or other benefits in exchange for certain actions’ without examining the former Administration’s plethora of foreign financial entanglements, including President Trump’s receipt of millions of dollars from foreign governments while in office, a blatant violation of the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution, and Ivanka Trump’s corresponding receipt of fast-tracked trademark approvals from China and Japan while serving as a White House senior advisor,” Raskin states in the letter. 

A House Oversight spokesperson told The Post in a statement that the ranking member’s letter is “nothing more than an attempt to distract from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s influence-peddling schemes.”

“If Ranking Member Raskin was truly concerned about ethics in government, then he would join Republicans in our investigation of the Bidens’ blatant corruption. However, Ranking Member Raskin is only concerned about playing Biden family defense lawyer,” the spokesperson added.