A top Democratic lawmaker is seeking information about Jared Kushner’s financial investments following a CNN investigation last week that found his private equity firm is the largest shareholder in an Israeli company that backs companies involved in Israel’s military campaigns. Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter to Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, on Monday saying that Democrats on the committee were “investigating the dangerous and unprecedented ways in which President Trump and his family have directly benefited from their access to power.” …I am requesting detailed information about his dealings in the Middle East to understand whether his significant financial gains have come at the expense of the security of Americans,” the California representative wrote. The letter is yet another sign that House Democrats are prepared to investigate the business dealings of President Donald Trump’s family members abroad and in the U.S., should they regain the majority in this fall’s midterm elections A lawyer for Kushner dismissed Garcia’s criticism and sought to draw attention to the congressman’s own holdings in investments discussed in CNN’s report on Kushner – Phoenix Financial, an Israeli financial services firm that has Affinity Partners. as its largest investor, and Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer “Representative. Garcia’s letter is a master class in irony: A member of Congress challenges a private citizen for having an interest in the same stock that the member also has an interest in,” the lawyer said in a statement to CNN. “Jared has no role in deciding what Phoenix buys or sells. But if that doesn’t matter to Rep. Garcia, he should start by investigating himself.” Garcia’s most recent disclosure forms indicate that his pension plans are administered through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System. Both plans hold shares of Phoenix Financials or Elbit Systems. A spokesman for Garcia said Kushner’s attorney was trying to “deflect” from his client’s own conduct, adding that the congressman doesn’t trade stocks. and, like the millions of other public employees in the pension plan, he has no control over the fund and cannot opt out. Kushner “earns millions without accountability while traveling the Middle East on behalf of his father-in-law,” said Sara Guerrero, a spokeswoman for Garcia. “The apparent conflict of interest between Affinity Partners’ investments and its work in the Middle East, and particularly the potential for corrupt deals given those competing interests, demands congressional oversight and accountability,” Garcia’s letter states. The CNN investigation raised questions. over potential conflicts of interest between Kushner’s volunteer role as Middle East peace envoy and his company’s financial investments. Kushner’s lawyer did not address his client’s role as a dealmaker on behalf of the Trump administration. As part of the review of Kushner’s financial holdings, CNN used Israeli financial transparency laws to track investments made by Phoenix Financial, a Tel Aviv-based firm in which Kushner’s Affinity Partners doubled its stake last year, shortly before Trump returned to office. Oval. CNN’s reporting specifically excluded Phoenix’s investments through retirement accounts and instead focused on insurance holdings, which include just some of Phoenix’s holdings, showing that Phoenix has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Elbit Systems. Phoenix also has stakes in at least eight other companies that provide equipment to the Israeli military, from drones and warships to demolition machinery, CNN found. All nine companies identified by CNN rose in value over the year. past, and many claimed that the war in Gaza had boosted demand for their businesses. Affinity does not directly have a stake in the nine companies that CNN identified, but it will reap rewards when Phoenix turns a profit. Kushner described Phoenix as Affinity’s “best investment” in September 2025. CNN found no indication that Kushner’s actions as a diplomat directly affected the reviewed investments. Kushner’s lawyer told CNN that his client “never participated in or directed Phoenix Un’s decisions.” The day after the CNN report, Kushner posted a rare response on X, calling the CNN story “deeply misleading.” Kushner did not point out any inaccuracies in his publication’s article. That job is too important,” Kushner wrote on Russia to end that war have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar deal to sell oil assets of one of Russia’s largest energy companies to a group of investors with ties to Steve Witkoff and Kushner, the Trump administration’s two top negotiators, according to the Times. A spokeswoman for Witkoff told the Times that he has “no conflict of interest or financial interest in this matter” and said his work for the US administration is being done “at his own expense.” Kushner’s lawyer did not respond to CNN’s question about the matter. this report. Garcia and other Democrats have for years demanded answers from the White House and Trump’s family about concerns about “apparent influence peddling and quid pro quo deals” and whether foreign money is being used “to buy access to the president and influence American policy.” in 2021) in light of Kushner’s government work. Neither Kushner nor Affinity Partners responded to the congressmen’s earlier request Tracing Kushner’s company’s ties to a firm with stakes in Israeli arms suppliers Tracing Kushner’s company’s ties to a firm with stakes in Israeli arms suppliers 4:53 The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is the House’s top investigative committee, but requests from the Minority parties of lawmakers on the committee are voluntary and can be ignored without legal consequences. Subpoenas can only be authorized by the committee chair or by a committee vote. If the balance of power changes as a result of the November midterm elections, Democrats could open an official investigation. benefiting from his father’s presidency. This story has been updated with additional details from García’s letter and more context about his holdings.
