The Senate on Monday confirmed Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to be U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco.
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WASHINGTON – The Senate on Monday confirmed Charles Kushner, the father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco.
Charles Kushner, 71, was confirmed by a vote of 51-45.
Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a New York-based real estate company. He was convicted of preparing false tax returns, retaliating against a cooperating witness, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission in 2005.
He admitted to hiring a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and having the sexual encounter videotaped. He then mailed the tape to his sister in an effort to intimidate her against becoming a witness in the federal investigation.
Republican Chris Christie, then U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said Charles Kushner’s actions were “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he ever prosecuted.
Charles Kushner served more than 16 months of a two-year sentence in federal prison and a halfway program before he was released in 2006, NorthJersey.com reported. Trump pardoned Charles Kushner in 2020, saying at the time that Kushner was devoted to philanthropic organizations and causes.
“This record of reform and charity overshadows Mr. Kushner’s conviction and 2 year sentence for preparing false tax returns, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the FEC,” Trump’s office said at the time.
In October 2024, Forbes estimated that Kushner Companies was worth $2.9 billion and the Kushner family’s net worth was $7.1 billion.
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in May, Charles Kushner acknowledged that he “made a very, very, very serious mistake” and “paid a very heavy price for that.”
“I think that my past mistakes actually make me better with my judgment, better in my view of life, better in my values to really make me more qualified to do this job,” he added.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty said in the hearing that, “Charlie understands the unique and enduring bond between the United States and France—a bond rooted in shared history, democratic values, and mutual interests.”
“He is committed to advancing U.S. national security interests by deepening the U.S.-France alliance through pragmatic defense collaboration and fair, reciprocal trade relations,” he added.
Charles Kushner’s son, Jared Kushner, has been married to Ivanka Trump since 2009. Jared Kushner served as a senior advisor for Trump during his first term and was a key negotiator of the Abraham Accords, which establish normalized diplomatic relationships between Israel and Morocco, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan.
USA TODAY Network archives were used in the reporting of this story. Contributing: Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY