President-elect Donald Trump says he is nominating Charles Kushner, his son-in-law’s father, to be ambassador to France, marking a reversal of Kushner’s public standing after he served time in prison nearly two decades ago.
Kushner, whose son Jared is married to Ivanka Trump, went to jail in 2005 for fraud, tax evasion and witness tampering. His crime generated national headlines long before his Trump connection because it included paying a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law. It also induced distress in his New Jersey Orthodox Jewish community, where he was a generous donor.
Trump pardoned Kushner four years ago, citing his record of service since his time in prison. Now, Trump has chosen him to represent the United States in one of the United States’ most prominent allies.
“I am pleased to nominate Charles Kushner, of New Jersey, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to France,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social network, on Saturday. “He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests.”
Trump has chosen another of his children’s fathers-in-law (known as “machatunim” in Jewish parlance) for a different post. Massad Boulos, the Lebanese-American businessman who is the father of Tiffany Trump’s husband, will be Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Boulos is seen as having played a major role in strengthening Trump’s support among Arab Americans in November’s elections and will hold a portfolio pivotal to Trump’s promise to expand the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab nations. He will serve alongside Trump’s friend and fellow real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, who is Jewish, and who the president-elect also tapped to be a Middle East envoy.
