After Afaq News Report on Jared Kushner's Investments in Israel.. Democratic Lawmaker "Investigates" the Financial Relations of Trump's Son-in-Law

- Prominent American Democratic legislator Robert Garcia is seeking information about the financial investments of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump and his peace envoy, following an investigation conducted by the Afaq News network last week, which revealed that Kushner's private equity firm is the largest shareholder in an Israeli company that supports businesses involved in Israeli military campaigns. Garcia, who is the leading Democratic member of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter on Monday to Kushner's investment firm "Affinity Partners," stating that Democrats on the committee "are investigating the unprecedented and dangerous ways in which President Trump and his family have profited directly from their access to power."

The California congressman wrote: "I request detailed information about your business dealings in the Middle East to understand whether your massive financial gains have come at the expense of the safety and security of Americans." This letter is an additional indication of the willingness of House Democrats to investigate the business dealings of members of the Trump family, both abroad and within the United States, should they regain the majority in the upcoming midterm elections this fall.

In contrast, an attorney representing Kushner downplayed Garcia's criticisms and sought to highlight what the congressman himself owns in investments mentioned in the Afaq News report concerning Kushner; namely, the company "Phoenix Financial" - an Israeli financial services firm in which "Affinity Partners" is the largest investor - and "Elbit Systems," the largest arms manufacturer in Israel. The attorney stated in a statement to Afaq News: "Congressman Garcia's letter is a glaring example of irony; a member of Congress is questioning a private citizen for owning a stake in a stock that the member himself also has a stake in."

He added: "Jared has no role in making decisions about what Phoenix buys or sells, but if that doesn't concern Congressman Garcia, he should start investigating himself first." The latest disclosure forms for Garcia indicate that his retirement plans are managed through the "California Public Employees' Retirement System" and the "California State Teachers' Retirement System."

Both plans hold shares in "Phoenix Financials" or "Elbit Systems." A spokesperson for Garcia stated that Kushner's lawyer was trying to "divert attention" from his client's behavior, adding that the congressman "does not trade stocks, and like millions of other public employees covered by the retirement plan, he has no control over the fund and cannot withdraw from it.","

Sarah Guerrero, a spokesperson for Garcia, said that Kushner "makes millions without any accountability while traveling around the Middle East on behalf of his father-in-law." Garcia's letter stated: "The apparent conflict of interest between Affinity Partners' investments and your work in the Middle East - particularly the potential for corrupt deals under this conflict of interest - calls for oversight and accountability from Congress.","

An investigation by the Afaq News network raised questions about a potential conflict of interest between Kushner's voluntary role as a peace envoy in the Middle East and his company's financial investments. Kushner's lawyer did not address his client's role as a negotiator on behalf of the Trump administration.","

As part of the review of Kushner's financial holdings, Afaq News utilized Israeli financial transparency laws to track the investments made by "Phoenix," a Tel Aviv-based company that Kushner's Affinity Partners increased its stake in last year, just before Trump returned to the Oval Office. Afaq News specifically excluded "Phoenix" investments made through retirement accounts and instead focused on the company's holdings in the insurance sector.","

These records - which include only a portion of "Phoenix's" holdings - show that the company invested hundreds of millions of dollars in "Elbit Systems." Afaq News also found that "Phoenix" holds stakes in at least 8 other companies that provide equipment to the Israeli military, ranging from drones to warships and demolition vehicles.

All nine companies identified by Afaq News witnessed an increase in their stock values last year, with many reporting that the war in Gaza led to increased demand for their products and services. "Affinity" does not have a direct stake in the nine companies identified by Afaq News, but it profits when "Phoenix" achieves financial gains.

Kushner described the company "Phoenix" as "the best investment" for "Affinity" in September 2025. Afaq News found no indication that Kushner's actions as a diplomat directly influenced the investments included in the review.

Kushner's lawyer told Afaq News that his client "has never participated in or directed Phoenix's investment decisions." One day after Afaq News' report, Kushner posted a rare response on the platform "X" (formerly Twitter), calling the network's report "extremely misleading," and did not mention any "inaccurate" information contained in the report.

Kushner wrote: "Misleading reports will not deter me from the work President Trump tasked me with: helping to end wars, bringing people together, and striving for peace." Garcia referred to Kushner's social media post, writing: "Despite your denial of any inappropriate conduct, the truth remains that you were granted a position of immense power and responsibility, exempting you from financial disclosure requirements and external oversight."

In addition to Afaq News' report, The New York Times published a report detailing other instances of "overlap" between Kushner's voluntary diplomatic role and his business dealings concerning the war in Ukraine. The newspaper reported that U.S. talks with Russia to end that war expanded to include a multi-billion dollar deal to sell oil assets belonging to one of Russia's largest energy companies to a group of investors connected to both Steve Witkoff and Kushner - the two main negotiators for the Trump administration.

A spokesperson for Witkoff stated to the newspaper that "he has no conflict of interest or financial interest in this matter," noting that his work with the U.S. administration "is done at his own expense." Kushner's attorney did not respond to a request from Afaq News regarding these reports.

Garcia and other Democrats have long called on the White House and the Trump family to provide answers regarding concerns about "blatant influence peddling and quid pro quo deals," and whether foreign funds are being used "to buy access to the president and influence U.S. policy." In March, both Garcia and Senator Ron Wyden requested specific information from the White House regarding the fundraising efforts of "Affinity Partners" in the Middle East - where Kushner had secured a $2 billion investment for his company from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund in 2021 - in light of Kushner's government work.

Kushner and "Affinity Partners" did not respond to the request from the former members of Congress. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is the main investigative committee in the House, but requests from minority party lawmakers on the committee are considered voluntary and can be ignored without legal consequences; official subpoenas can only be issued with the approval of the committee chair or through a vote of its members.

If the balance of power changes as a result of the midterm elections in November, Democrats will be able to open a formal investigation. After Republicans won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives in 2023, the Oversight Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee opened similar investigations into Hunter Biden's overseas business dealings, alleging that he was profiting financially from his father's presidency.