Before the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, appointments continue in the United States. The president-elect announced on Saturday to choose Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner, as American ambassador to France.
This is a new, atypical appointment for a man who has had problems with the law. This real estate tycoon will be sent to Paris to “strengthen the partnership between the United States and France, our oldest ally and one of our strongest,” explained Donald Trump on his Truth Social network.
Pardoned by Donald Trump
Charles Kushner spent a year in federal prison for tax embezzlement and was pardoned by Donald Trump towards the end of his first term in the White House.
His son Jared Kushner is the husband of Ivanka Trump, the president's eldest daughter, and was an advisor to Donald Trump, particularly on the Middle East, during his first exercise of power.
At the origin of sordid acts
Charles Kushner, now 70, once passed the reins to his son to run the family real estate empire, Kushner Companies. Because he had to serve a prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2004 to tax fraud, witness tampering and illegal contributions to electoral campaigns.
The businessman notably admitted sordid acts in the context of this affair: he had hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, who was collaborating in an investigation into campaign financing. Charles Kushner had filmed the meeting between them to his sister, the wife of this man, to dissuade her from testifying against him.
Our file on the United States
The president-elect on Saturday described Charles Kushner as a “brilliant business leader”, a “philanthropist” and a “good negotiator”, without ever mentioning his legal setbacks.
Since his election against Kamala Harris on November 5, Donald Trump has made a number of sensational appointments within his administration, surrounding himself with loyalists with often controversial profiles.
