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In Donald Trump’s first term, the president gave Jared Kushner an almost comically broad policy portfolio, but in the wake of Trump’s defeat in 2020, his son-in-law shifted his focus away from domestic policymaking and toward international business, launching a private equity firm. The shift proved lucrative: Kushner picked up $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, among other investments his firm received from the Middle East. Some might’ve been tempted to defend the controversial investments by arguing that Kushner was no longer in government, so there was no harm in him seeking money from the same foreign officials he worked with in a professional capacity. That defense, such as it was, soon after collapsed: After Trump returned to power, he brought Kushner back into the fold, tapping his son-in-law to serve as a special envoy, representing the White House in, among other places, the Middle East — despite his private business dealings in the region, and despite concerns about Kushner’s experience, knowledge and skill set. Complicating matters, we’re not talking about a dynamic in which Kushner is putting his business interests on hold while trying to advance his father-in-law’s official agenda. Rather, Kushner is wearing both hats simultaneously, seeking investments for his private equity firm while also representing the government. According to the Times’ report, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, Kushner’s firm recently met with officials from Saudi Arabia — the same country that already invested in Affinity Partners, and the same country that has reportedly encouraged Trump to move forward with combat operations in Iran, the Saudis’ longtime enemy. This is the same Kushner who, just weeks ago, met with Iranian officials on behalf of the White House. The Times’ report also noted that Kushner, the month after his father-in-law won a second term, publicly suggested that he would not seek additional foreign investments during Trump’s second term. “That appears to have changed,” the article added. It’s worth emphasizing that Kushner has repeatedly insisted that he’s following the law and abiding by all applicable ethics laws. Those are, however, difficult claims to substantiate: The White House is not requiring the presidential son-in-law to file financial disclosure documents.