President Trump issued 26 pardons on Wednesday, including several with personal ties to the president or members of his administration. One of them is Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The elder Kushner served a two-year sentence for a 2005 conviction for preparing false tax returns, retaliating from witnesses and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. It was a sordid case in which Kushner was accused of hiring a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law to a date he videotaped and then sent the video to the man’s wife, Kushner’s sister, in an attempt to intimidate her and keep her from testifying before a grand jury.
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“I mean, it’s one of the most disgusting and disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was a U.S. attorney,” former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said in a 2019 interview with PBS. Christie said that because of this case, Jared Kushner worked to prevent him from being selected for the roles he wanted in the Trump administration, vice president or attorney general.
The White House statement announcing Charles Kushner’s pardon did not discuss the details of the case, focusing instead on Kushner’s substantial charitable contributions.
In this archival photo from March 4, 2005, Charles B. Kushner, flanked by his wife, Seryl Beth, left, and his lawyer Alfred DeCotiis arrives at Newark Federal Court to stand trial in Newark, NJ (AP Photo / Marko Georgiev )
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“Since serving his sentence in 2006, Mr. Kushner has been dedicated to important organizations and philanthropic causes, such as Saint Barnabas Medical Center and United Cerebral Palsy,” the statement said. “This record of reform and charity overshadows Mr. Kushner’s conviction and his 2-year sentence for preparing false tax returns, retaliating from witnesses and making false statements to the FEC.”
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Years before his criminal prosecution, Kushner also helped fund a Jewish elementary and high school in New Jersey, which he named after his parents, and Hofstra University dedicated Kushner Hall in honor of him and his wife. Kushner Hall is where the university’s law school is located, where Kushner graduated in 1979.
Kushner was also a major contributor to the Democratic Party before supporting Trump in his 2016 campaign.