Watchdog group sues Trump administration over Jared Kushner’s government work

A government-ethics watchdog, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, arguing that Jared Kushner's work as a leading envoy for his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, is illegal. The group wants a court to remove Kushner from the post or, failing that, to make him file financial disclosures, according to NBC News.

According to the complaint, Kushner exerts major influence abroad although the Senate never confirmed him and he has submitted no financial disclosure. It stresses that he also runs an investment firm managing over $6 billion, roughly 99% of it belonging to foreign investors, among them government-backed funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The firm also holds sizable investments in Israel. CREW says this creates a heightened risk of conflicts, and that skipping a salary or title does not exempt him from constitutional and ethics-law requirements.

Kushner's attorney, Chad Mizelle, called the case meritless, saying ethics lawyers inside and outside government cleared his volunteer service and that he takes no pay and covers his own costs. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly dismissed CREW as unserious, and another White House official said presidents have used private envoys since George Washington.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →