Photo: Michael M. Santiago Getty Images via AFP Charles Kushner, nominated for US ambassador to France, at Ivana Trump’s funeral in New York in 2022.
Agence France-Presse in Washington
Published at 18:41
- United States
Donald Trump announced Saturday that he was appointing Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law and former adviser Jared Kushner, as the United States ambassador to France, an atypical new appointment for a man who has had run-ins with the law.
The real estate mogul will be sent to Paris to “strengthen the partnership between the United States and France, our oldest and one of our strongest allies,” the American president-elect explained on his Truth Social network.
Charles Kushner spent a year in federal prison for tax fraud and was pardoned by Donald Trump towards the end of his first term in the White House — a criminal record that raises questions for an American diplomat.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000His son Jared Kushner is the husband of Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of the president, and was an advisor to Donald Trump, particularly on the Middle East, during his first term in office.
Charles Kushner, now 70, once handed over the reins to his son to run the family real estate empire, Kushner Companies. He served time in prison after pleading guilty in 2004 to tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign contributions.
The businessman has admitted to sordid acts in the case, including hiring a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, who was cooperating in a campaign finance investigation. Mr. Kushner had filmed the meeting between them for his sister, the man’s wife, to dissuade her from testifying against him.
Controversial choice
Mr. Trump on Saturday called Charles Kushner a “brilliant business leader,” a “philanthropist” and a “good negotiator,” without ever mentioning his legal troubles.
Since his election against Kamala Harris on November 5, Mr. Trump has made a series of sensational appointments within his administration, surrounding himself with loyalists with often controversial profiles.
He notably appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a man notoriously skeptical of vaccines, as Secretary of Health.
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Mr. Trump also appointed Pete Hegseth, a Fox News presenter who was investigated for sexual assault, but no complaint was filed, as Secretary of Defense.
The Republican tribune also tried to impose Matt Gaetz, a congressman accused of having a sexual relationship with a minor, for the Justice Department. But faced with the outcry triggered by this project, the person concerned ended up giving up.
In his place, Mr. Trump chose one of his former lawyers, Pam Bondi. She will be assisted in the ministry by three of the billionaire's personal lawyers — Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and John Sauer. Their mission is clear: to put an end to what Donald Trump, convicted of criminal charges at the end of May, considers to be an “instrumentalization” of justice, and to become the armed wing of his revenge.