Charles Kushner, father of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared, has been confirmed because the US ambassador to France and Monaco, experiences The Guardian. The Senate voted 51-45 to approve his nomination on Monday evening. This controversial appointment comes simply 4 years after Trump pardoned Kushner for federal crimes throughout his first presidency, in accordance with info offered by the revered British newspaper.
Kushner’s affirmation noticed uncommon voting patterns throughout social gathering traces. Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey was the one Democrat to assist the nomination, whereas Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted in opposition to it. The Guardian’s reporting highlights that Booker’s assist follows a fundraiser that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump held for him throughout his profitable 2013 Senate marketing campaign.
The brand new ambassador’s felony historical past was a serious focus throughout his affirmation course of. The Washington Post particulars Kushner’s previous authorized troubles as a result of their protection emphasizes his felony conviction and subsequent pardon. In 2005, Kushner pleaded responsible to 18 fees, together with tax evasion, witness tampering, and making false statements to the Federal Election Fee. Essentially the most surprising facet of his case concerned hiring a intercourse employee to seduce his brother-in-law, who was cooperating with federal investigators. Because the Put up completely paperwork, Kushner secretly recorded this encounter and despatched the footage to his sister.
Throughout his latest affirmation listening to, Kushner acknowledged his previous wrongdoing. “My misjudgment and mistake was over 20 years in the past,” he instructed the Senate International Relations Committee. Kushner finally served 14 months in federal jail in Alabama earlier than finishing his sentence at a midway home in Newark, New Jersey. The Washington Put up’s reporting notes that in this time, his son Jared visited him virtually each Sunday and publicly defended his father.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who prosecuted Kushner’s case, described it as “one of the crucial loathsome, disgusting crimes” he had ever prosecuted. Regardless of this historical past, Kushner instructed senators he believes his previous errors make him “extra certified” for the ambassadorship, info that appeared within the Washington Put up’s detailed account of the affirmation listening to.
The New Jersey Globe gives context concerning the relationship between Kushner and Senator Booker due to their native perspective on this connection. Their long-standing relationship dates again many years, with Kushner offering monetary assist for Booker’s first unsuccessful mayoral run in 2002. When Kushner confronted authorized troubles in 2004, Booker wrote a personality reference letter for him. As reported within the New Jersey Globe’s protection, the 2 later collaborated throughout Trump’s first administration on the First Step Act, a bipartisan felony justice reform invoice.
Explaining his assist for Kushner, Booker acknowledged: “With out his efforts, the invoice would not have change into regulation.” The senator acknowledged having “passionate variations and disagreements with Charlie Kushner” however supported his affirmation due to Kushner’s work on reforming the felony justice system. The New Jersey Globe notes that New Jersey’s different senator, Andy Kim, voted in opposition to Kushner’s nomination.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/20/charles-kushner-france-ambassador-confirmed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/20/charles-kushner-france-ambassador-confirmation/
