Jared Kushner is reportedly seeking more than $5bn from foreign governments for his private equity firm while simultaneously serving as a key US negotiator in the Middle East — a move critics say blurs the line between diplomacy and personal profit. According to reporting by The New York Times, Kushner has been courting sovereign wealth funds and global investors for his firm Affinity Partners even as he operates in an official diplomatic capacity tied to the administration of Donald Trump. The fundraising push has triggered renewed scrutiny of potential conflicts of interest inside the White House. Foreign cash drive overlaps with diplomatic role Representatives for Affinity have already held talks with Public Investment Fund, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The fund previously invested $2bn in Kushner’s venture shortly after Trump’s first presidency ended. Now Kushner is reportedly seeking billions more while participating in high-level diplomatic activity across the region. During the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, he is said to have held private meetings with business leaders about raising new capital for the firm. The outreach appears to contradict earlier claims that Affinity would not need fresh funding while Kushner worked alongside the administration. Ethics watchdogs raise conflict alarms The overlap between Kushner’s public role and private business dealings has triggered alarm among ethics groups. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington warned that Kushner’s diplomatic work intersects directly with countries where his firm seeks investment. The watchdog says his appointment as special envoy triggered a legal requirement to file financial disclosures within 30 days. Critics argue that without strict transparency rules, the arrangement risks allowing foreign governments to gain influence through investment decisions. ‘Mind-boggling’ scale of the controversy Political analysts say the scale of the fundraising effort is extraordinary for a senior presidential adviser. Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics described the situation as “almost beyond belief”. Historian Brian Rosenwald said similar controversies would have ended past presidencies. The episode underscores a persistent criticism of the Trump era: that family members wielding political power have operated in a grey zone where diplomacy, business and personal wealth increasingly overlap. 'Mind boggling' corruption: Kushner seeks $5 billion from foreign governments for his firm
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