The Democratic chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and a prominent Democratic congressman on Thursday asked the U.S. attorney general to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Jared Kushnerson-in-law of former President Donald Trump, functioned as a unregistered foreign agent for Saudi Arabiaaccording to a letter from lawmakers.

The letter from U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin cited an Oct. 4 letter Reuters report revealing that Kushner had repeatedly discussed US-Saudi diplomacy regarding Israel with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, since he left the government.

“This revelation is deeply troubling because Mr. Kushner appears to be influencing U.S. foreign policy by acting as a political consultant to the Saudi government while accepting their money,” Wyden and Raskin wrote in the eight-page letter to the attorney general. Merrick Garland. . The letter has not been previously reported.

“Mr. Kushner’s proximity to President Trump and the potential for political interference warrant the appointment of a special advisor,” the letter added.

Saudi Arabia has invested 2 billion dollars in a private equity fund, Affinity Partners, that Kushner, who was a top Middle East adviser during the Trump administration, founded in 2021 after leaving government, according to congressional investigators.

In a statement, Kushner said, “There is no conflict of interest.” He called the letter a “stupid political stunt” and said it fell “below the level of seriousness that both their chambers deserve.”

Chad Mizelle, legal director at Affinity Partners, called the request for a special counsel “a shameful attempt by Wyden and Raskin to turn an already weaponized DOJ into an entirely political operation with accusations that have no basis or evidence.” .

The Justice Department acknowledged receipt of the letter but declined further comment.

The Saudi embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Saudi Arabia’s investments in Kushner’s fund have been criticized by ethics experts, Democrats in Congress and some Republicans, who have expressed concern that Saudi Arabia’s participation could resemble a reward since Kushner worked on Saudi issues before leaving the Trump White House.

“There is substantial reason to believe,” the letter wrote, “that the Saudi government’s decision to use Affinity for investment advice is a fig leaf to funnel money directly to Mr. Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump.” Affinity and Kushner have previously denied that Saudi Arabia’s investments constitute a reward or conflict of interest. Affinity said Wyden and his Senate staff did not understand the realities of private equity.

The letter comes less than two weeks before the November 5 US presidential election between Trump, the Republican, and Democrat Kamala Harris. Special counsel investigations have more political independence than prosecutions conducted by Justice Department lawyers, although special counsels can be fired by the attorney general.

While serving as special adviser to Trump, Kushner engineered the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements in which Islamic nations established diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for concessions from the United States. Saudi Arabia never signed, but the Biden administration has tried to encourage the kingdom to normalize relations with Israel, an effort that has appeared to stall due to the conflict in Gaza.

October 4 Reuters The report, citing a source close to the discussions, said Kushner’s talks with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince included the process of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The source did not specify when the talks took place or whether they took place before or after the start of the conflict in Gaza.

The U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, requires agents of foreign interests who engage in political activities to register with the Department of Justice.

Wyden is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and has been investigating investments by Saudi Arabia and other countries in Kushner funds since June. Raskin is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

(Reuters)