Kushner Accused of Secret $2 Billion Dealings with Gulf Nations

A new investigative report alleges that Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior White House advisor, was involved in secret financial arrangements totaling approximately $2 billion, allegedly funded by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The claims, detailed in investigative journalist Matthew Cole's upcoming book "Princes and Thieves," are based on anonymous sources and have not been independently verified with financial documents. Kushner has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them "outrageous fabrications."

The report claims that in late 2017, Dutch military intelligence gained access to screenshots from Kushner's iPhone, revealing a bank account in the UAE managed by the Emirati charity Watani Al Emarat. According to the report, Kushner was an authorized signatory, not the owner, and received around $750 million from Saudi and Emirati sources starting in 2017. This account allegedly served to conceal arms purchases and fund covert military and intelligence operations abroad. The report also suggests Kushner transferred funds from this account to various individuals, including a militia member and a former mercenary.

Further allegations suggest that Kushner, along with UAE Ruler Mohammed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, initially discussed a fund exceeding $10 billion for purposes including countering the Iran nuclear deal and advancing bin Salman's standing. The report claims that in spring 2018, bin Zayed transferred about $1 billion to Israel via Azerbaijan for Kushner. It is alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Kushner to deposit this money into the Bank of Israel as a government account, though intended for personal use, and demanded updates on any transactions. Former US Ambassador David Friedman, implicated in the report, has strongly denied any knowledge of these claims.

Kushner's attorney has denied the existence of such accounts. The report posits that Kushner facilitated negotiations for an agreement where Israel would help defend the UAE against Iran, with the UAE making a payment to the Bank of Israel for an emergency fund. A former prosecutor in the Robert Mueller investigation suggested that if Kushner promised to advance foreign leaders' interests for money, it could raise suspicions of bribery or acting as a foreign agent. Kushner, in a public response, dismissed the report as "completely insane" and "utterly false," stating that no evidence was provided and that these claims never surfaced during extensive investigations he underwent.

These allegations surface amid Kushner's established ties with Gulf nations. After leaving the White House, he founded Affinity Partners, which received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, a separate and publicly known transaction. During his time in the Trump administration, Kushner played a key role in US relations with Gulf states and advancing the Abraham Accords.