Foreign Governments Sought to Exploit Kushner’s Overseas Business Arrangements

This is very much why the security clearance process requires so much financial disclosure.


WaPo (“Kushner’s overseas contacts raise concerns as foreign officials seek leverage“):

Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter.

Among those nations discussing ways to influence Kushner to their advantage were the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico, the current and former officials said.

It is unclear if any of those countries acted on the discussions, but Kushner’s contacts with certain foreign government officials have raised concerns inside the White House and are a reason he has been unable to obtain a permanent security clearance, the officials said.

Let’s acknowledge that this is a rather soft report. The combination of “complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience” gives a rather wide berth and there’s no proof that any advantage was gained from any of these issues.

But this is very much why the security clearance process, which Kushner has treated with, at best, careless disdain, requires so much financial disclosure. While that has proved a giant obstacle to Trump administration appointees—who come much more from the business sector than has been typical in previous administrations—it’s vital that we be able to vet those who will have access to our most sensitive secrets for vulnerabilities that might be exploited by our adversaries. Kushner has been unable to get through the process because he has been unwilling or unable to fully disclose all his dealings—which, again, could be completely innocent for someone who was not expecting to go through the process in the future—or because the nature of those dealings has raised red flags.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Mark Ivey says:

    The Kushner’s took Russian money via Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, they owe at least a quarter billion there.

    Just think of the finance dirt the Germans have on the Kushner’s and Trumps…

    5
  2. CSK says:

    I’d be very surprised if foreign governments weren’t trying to exploit Kushner’s overseas business arrangements. He’s stupid, he’s arrogant, he’s a babe-in-the-woods, and he’s probably up to his ears in shady transactions. He’s a minnow in a shark tank.

    What could be better?

    10
  3. Daryl's other brother Darryl says:

    @CSK:

    I’d be very surprised if foreign governments weren’t trying to exploit Kushner’s Trump’s overseas business arrangements. He’s stupid, he’s arrogant, he’s a babe-in-the-woods, and he’s probably up to his ears in shady transactions. He’s a minnow in a shark tank.

    FTFY

    3
  4. MBunge says:

    This is an entirely legitimate issue and needs to be watched very closely.

    On the other hand, was there even one on-the-record source for these concerns about Kushner in the entire story? This pretty clearly seems to be an instance where anonymity isn’t being granted to protect a source but to protect a narrative.

    Mike

  5. Daryl's other brother Darryl says:

    @MBunge:
    So just to be clear…you endorse sexual assault, child molestation, and the ongoing attack of the US by Russia…but not anonymous sources? Got it.

    5
  6. Kathy says:

    Maybe now that Mexico is trying to meddle in US affairs, we’ll see some real action.

    After all, a poor country with a tiny army and a long history of diplomatic neutrality and one of the smallest roles in the world stage is a real threat, not like a nuclear armed major power with a large military.

    3
  7. MBunge says:

    @Daryl’s other brother Darryl:

    I’m sorry. You’ll have to repeat yourself. I can hear you over the wild applause and media love for an accused rapist at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

    Mike

  8. Daryl's other brother Darryl says:

    @MBunge:
    I don’t support Clinton…and certainly not the way you blindly support everything about Trump, no matter what. Sycophant.
    And then there is your support for child molestation and Russian attacks on our Republic. Traitor.

    6
  9. michael reynolds says:

    @MBunge:
    Which excuses your position decades later, how exactly? Care to explain?

    4
  10. michael reynolds says:

    This goes back to an obvious fact: Trump cannot hire competent people because competent people will very quickly realize that Trump is at the center of a criminal conspiracy against the United States. Trump goes to family for the same reason any gang boss does.

    8
  11. MBunge says:

    @michael reynolds:

    What position are you talking about? I think I’ve been pretty clear on more than one occasion that I’m not a fan of everything Trump says or does. Are you referring to my not blindly going along with every hysterical, paranoid, hypocritical, irrational, and ultimately dangerous bit of anti-Trump butt hurt nonsense that comes along?

    And in case you misread, 2016 was not “decades” ago.

    Mike

  12. michael reynolds says:

    @MBunge:
    I’m referring to your moronic position that past crime justifies current crime. You know, the way Caine somehow justifies murder. I mean, I know you’re just regurgitating Hannity, but at least try to think. Concentrate real hard.

    4
  13. Daryl's other brother Darryl says:

    @MBunge:

    I think I’ve been pretty clear on more than one occasion that I’m not a fan of everything Trump says or does.

    Well now, that’s just nonsense. You are who he is talking about when he says he can shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and his base won’t care. You’d be here defending him, and blaming Clinton or Obama for not eliminating Fifth Avenue when they had the chance.

    3
  14. CSK says:

    Here’s some breaking news:

    New York’s banking regulator has asked Deutsche Bank and two other banks to provide info about Jared, his family, and their companies.

    3
  15. Just 'nutha ig'nint cracker says:

    @CSK: Whoa! That could get ugly.

    1
  16. CSK says:

    @Just ‘nutha ig’nint cracker:

    What do you want to bet that if he’s offered the chance, he’ll rat out his father-in-law.

    1