Jared And Ivanka Still Hold $741M Empire Despite White House Roles

Image by Getty Images

By Dave Goldiner April 1, 2017

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump may not be taking a dime from Uncle Sam.

But the ultimate Jewish power couple, who are both unpaid senior White House aides, reportedly still hold a sprawling $741 million real estate and investment empire, raising big new questions about how they will possibly avoid conflicts of interest.

Ethics filings released by the White House Friday night say Ivanka will maintain a stake in the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Ethics experts worry that foreign officials or special interests groups may stay there or do business to ingratiate themselves with the White House.

Kushner remains the beneficiary of his family’s farflung real estate portfolio, which ethics experts say raises a giant red flag.

He has taken steps to avoid being involved in decision-making but still benefits from deals that may be made by a range of actors who have interaction with policies he creates, from Mideast peace to criminal justice reform.

“He is still financially benefiting from how the businesses do,” former government ethics lawyer Larry Noble told the New York Times. “This presents potential for a conflict of interest.”

Tbe White House dished out info on 180 officials in a pre-weekend document dump.

Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO