Democrats are calling for an investigation of Jared Kushner, son-in-law and Senior Advisor to President Trump for possible Hatch Act violation. Reps. Ted Lieu of California and Don Beyer of Virginia has asked the independent Office of Special Counsel to look into recent reports from the New York Times of fund raising activities from the White House. Democrats have asked for a different counsel in the wake of the Russia probe.
It was reported that Kushner organized and arranged meeting at the White House with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and big donors for the 2020 campaign.
The Hatch Act of 1939 was enacted by the 76th United States Congress. It was established to prevent pernicious political activities and prohibits coercive political conduct or misusing their official authority of the executive branch of the federal government employees except for the president, vice-president, and certain designated high-level officials.
The call for an investigation comes on the heels of the Office of Special Counsel recommended that White House adviser Kellyanne Conway be fired by President Trump for violating the Hatch Act. The OSC accused Conway of breaking the Hatch Acts on multiple occasions. According to MSN, Special Counsel, Henry Kerner stated,” as a highly visible member of the administration, her violations if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees.” Kerner continued to state, “her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system,” Kerner said.
In response to Kerner President Trump during an interview with Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” stated, “no, I’m not going to fire her. I think she’s a terrific person,” Trump said.
As senior advisor to President Trump, Kushner has worked on different projects. During President Trump’s 2016 campaign he created and ran a digital media strategy known as Project Alamo. He was also in charge of mediation between Israeli and the Palestinian conflict and had meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Kushner has also been in charge of the White House Office of American Innovation to improve to Veterans Affairs and information-technology. He was also in charge of more than $100billion of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and during a meeting with Saudi officials at the White House he tried to work out lower prices from Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson for their radar systems to detect ballistic missiles.
Kushner also has supported the First Step Act previously known as the Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act. The First Step Act reforms the federal prison system of the United States of America, and to help prevent recidivism. Under the First Step Act, it also restricts the use of restraints on pregnant women and also compassionate release for terminally ill patients. On December 21, 2018, President Trump signed the act.
Kushner is also an investor, real-estate developer, newspaper publisher. Kushner has also been accused of being a slumlord in New York City. According to the Associated Press Kushner, routinely filed false paperwork with the city The paperwork claimed they had zero rent-regulated tenants in a few dozen building but instead it was hundreds of buildings. New York City fined Kushner $210,000 for lying on documents in 2018.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump married in 2009 after she converted to Judaism. The couple has three children Arabella, Theodore, and Joseph. They lived in New York City until Ivanka father was elected as President of the United States before moving to Washington DC to be able to help out her father and support her father while he is in the office at the White House and serves as President of the United States.
