Kushner rejects CNN report questioning potential Gaza role conflict with investments
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
CNN raised ethical questions about whether Jared Kushner’s private investments could create a conflict with his role advising the Trump administration on Gaza. Kushner rejected the report as misleading, while CNN said it found no indication that his diplomatic actions directly affected the investments it reviewed.
The scrutiny centres on Affinity Partners, which became Phoenix Financial’s largest shareholder. CNN reported that Phoenix had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Israeli defence companies, including Elbit Systems, and that Affinity’s Phoenix stake was valued at more than $1 billion by July 2025. Kushner says Affinity does not own the defence firms and that he has no say in Phoenix’s investment decisions; his volunteer envoy role does not require the financial disclosures expected of government employees.
- CNN questioned whether Kushner’s investments pose a conflict of interest.
- Affinity’s Phoenix stake was valued above $1 billion in July 2025.
- Kushner denies control over Phoenix’s investments and calls the report misleading.
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Jared Kushner is a property developer and investor who served as an advisor in the Trump White House. He is now working as an unpaid envoy advising the Trump administration on Middle East policy, particularly on issues relating to Gaza.
Through his investment firm Affinity Partners, Kushner holds a major stake in Phoenix Financial, an investment company that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into Israeli defence companies such as Elbit Systems, with Affinity's share valued at more than a billion dollars.
The potential conflict of interest arises because Kushner advises on Gaza policy while holding substantial stakes in defence firms affected by Middle East developments. CNN investigated these holdings for potential ethical concerns, but found no evidence his recommendations had benefited his investments. Kushner has responded by saying he has no control over investment decisions and that his unpaid position does not require the financial disclosures expected of government employees.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The ethical principle that officials should avoid even the appearance of conflicting interests serves important public trust. With Affinity Partners' $1 billion-plus stake in a fund investing hundreds of millions in Israeli defence companies, and Kushner simultaneously advising on Gaza policy, a genuine perception of potential influence exists regardless of formal control structures. The concern isn't necessarily about proving direct causation but about whether substantial financial interests in actors directly affected by one's policy advice create a problematic dynamic, and whether volunteer position exemptions from disclosure requirements represent a loophole rather than a justified exception.
The case against
Kushner's position reflects the distinction between formal control and mere financial association. He does not own or manage the defence companies in question, Phoenix Financial operates independently, and CNN's investigation found no evidence that his diplomatic actions actually benefited his investments. The scrutiny appears to conflate proximity to investments with wrongdoing and relies on speculative 'potential' concerns without substantive evidence of actual impropriety. Volunteer advisors logically face different standards than career government employees, and flagging conflicts based on appearance rather than demonstrated misconduct may unfairly impugn his motives.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner lashes out at CNN over ‘false’ claims he’s tied to Israeli arms firms boosted by Gaza war”.