President-elect Trump announces Charles Kushner as ambassadorial pick for France

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday his choice of Charles Kushner to serve as ambassador to France. Mr. Kushner is a real estate developer and the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump. Trump pardoned Mr. Kushner in 2020 during his first term, effectively setting aside a federal conviction. Via a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump described Mr. Kushner as “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests”. This nomination marks what appears to be the initial administrative role formally extended by Trump to a relative following his re-election. Additionally on Saturday, Trump revealed two further selections: former aide Kash Patel was chosen to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency Patel has frequently criticized. Separately, Chad Chronister, the sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, was nominated to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency. Like numerous other presidential choices, ambassadorial appointments necessitate approval through a majority vote in the US Senate. The potential impact of Mr. Kushner’s background during a confirmation hearing remains uncertain. In 2005, the elder Kushner admitted guilt to federal charges including tax evasion, campaign finance offenses, and witness tampering, resulting in a two-year prison sentence. Among the evidence presented in court, prosecutors stated that Mr. Kushner targeted a brother-in-law who was collaborating with authorities against him. He engaged a prostitute to seduce the individual, with the intention of intimidating him by dispatching video footage to his wife – Mr. Kushner’s sister. Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey who competed against Trump in the most recent Republican primary, prosecuted the case at that time and characterized it as “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he had witnessed. Jared Kushner held an advisory role during the initial Trump administration, a period when Trump granted a pardon to Charles Kushner as part of a series of announcements that also encompassed pardons for former campaign manager Paul Manafort and ex-adviser Roger Stone. In his Saturday announcement post, Trump commended Jared Kushner’s work and expressed his anticipation of collaborating with Charles Kushner. “Together, we will strengthen America’s partnership with France, our oldest Ally, & one of our greatest!”