JTA - Trump transition officials have told the Obama White House that foreign policy matters that need to be brought to President-elect Donald Trump’s attention should be relayed through his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the New York Timesreported.
The article that appeared on the front page of the Sunday edition of the newspaper also reported that Kushner has hired a leading Washington law firm, WilmerHale, to advise him on how to comply with federal ethics laws should he join the White House staff as an adviser to the president.
The Times cited “a person close to the transition and a government official with direct knowledge of the arrangement” in reporting that Kushner, 36, is the go-to guy on foreign policy for the transition.
When the Chinese ambassador to the United States called the White House in early December to express its anger at Trump’s phone call with the president of Taiwan, a break with diplomatic etiquette, the White House relayed the information through Kushner and not Trump’s national security team, according to the newspaper. This despite the fact that Kushner’s company was in the middle of negotiations with Anbang Insurance Group, a Chinese financial conglomerate, about plans to about plans to redevelop a Kushner family holding on 5th Ave. in downtown Manhattan, and that the company has Chinese investors.
Kushner reportedly met with Anbang CEO Wu Xiaohui at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, which Wu owns, days after the presidential election to discuss the redevelopment plans, according to the Times. READ MORE
