Charles Kushner Nominated to be Ambassador to France

The high character picks keep coming.

Via the AP: Trump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to become US ambassador to France. This is Jared Kushner’s father and he was pardoned by Trump. He is a man of high character, as I was reminded yesterday when I first saw the nomination.

The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.

Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation.

Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said.

You know, as one does.

Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought.

Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.”

But, you know, family values, personal responsibility, and all that jazz.

At the rate we are going the hearings for these nominations are going to have to be held on CSPAN After Dark so that the Senators can feel free to ask about the backgrounds of the candidates without the kiddies being up to see.

It really shaping up to be a group of cronies and sycophants, just like the Founders intended.

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Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter and/or BlueSky.

Comments

  1. Tony W says:

    “When the U.S. sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us.”

    — France

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  2. Jen says:

    Utterly indefensible. JFC. So this piece of work gets a taxpayer-funded, four-year vacation in Paris.

    3
  3. Sleeping Dog says:

    It won’t happen, but Marcon could reject his portfolio.

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  4. Not the IT Dept. says:

    I saw a bluesky tweet (sorry, can’t remember whose) that said “A diversity candidate nominated by Trump is one who hasn’t been accused of sexual assault.” I totally agree.

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  5. Mister Bluster says:

    “It really shaping up to be a group of cronies and sycophants, just like the Founders intended.”
    No.
    This is all for Jesus!

    Franklin Graham: Until Jesus Comes, We Have Our Marching Orders
    In his victory speech, President Trump pointedly referenced the assassination attempts: “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason,” he said.
    Donald Trump’s election win is historic in many ways. Millions and millions of people were praying, and I believe God allowed it by His merciful hand.
    We certainly need to continue in prayer for President Trump in the days to come as he assembles a team to lead our nation. We need godly men and women who will make policies that best reflect Biblical values, so that as Scripture informs us, we “may live a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (2 Timothy 2:2).

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  6. CSK says:

    Kushner is a walking, taking denotative definition of the word “loathsome.”

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  7. Rob1 says:

    Charles Kushner. Nothing like putting our best self forward as the face of American diplomacy. Correction: as our face-plant of diplomacy. Just in time for Le Pen to blow up France’s government.

    Jared must have identified some real estate opportunity in France.

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  8. Rob1 says:

    @Not the IT Dept.: Or one accused of diverse methods of assault.

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