Charles Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner and father-in-law to former President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to France.
The confirmation vote, held late Monday, passed with a 51–45 margin.
Kushner’s appointment comes more than four years after receiving a presidential pardon from Trump for a 2005 conviction on 18 counts, including tax evasion, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. One of the most controversial elements of the case involved Kushner hiring a sex worker to entrap his brother-in-law, who was cooperating with federal authorities, and sending a secretly recorded tape of the encounter to his own sister.
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kushner addressed his past, stating:
“My misjudgment and mistake was over 20 years ago. Since then, I’ve been pardoned by President Trump. But I don’t sit here before you today and tell you I’m a perfect person. I am not a perfect person. I made a very, very serious mistake, and I paid a very heavy price for that mistake.”
Kushner served 14 months in federal prison and completed his two-year sentence at a halfway house in Newark, New Jersey.
The vote saw some cross-party movement. Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey was the only Democrat to support the nomination, a decision that has drawn attention due to a past fundraiser hosted by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump during Booker’s 2013 Senate campaign. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against the nomination.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who prosecuted Kushner during his time as U.S. Attorney, previously described the case as “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he had handled.
Criticism of Kushner’s appointment has emerged from Democrats, including Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota, who wrote on social media:
“There’s a lot going on in the world at the moment... and how’s the Senate spending its time? We’re voting on Jared Kushner’s dad (a convicted felon who Trump pardoned) to be Ambassador to France, sending a billionaire convicted felon (and relative) to serve as a top diplomat.”
Kushner becomes the 10th ambassador nominated by Trump to receive Senate confirmation in his current term. The administration has also appointed Massad Boulos—father-in-law to Trump’s daughter Tiffany—as a senior adviser. Photo by Krokodyl, Wikimedia commons.
