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For Immediate Release
July, 06 2017, 01:45pm EDT
Contact:
Jordan Libowitz, jlibowitz@citizensforethics.org, 202-408-5565
Crew Files Ethics Complaint Against Jared Kushner
WASHINGTON
White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President Jared Kushner appears to have failed to make the required disclosure of his ownership interest in an online real estate investment company called Cadre, and likely must divest from Cadre to prevent having a conflict of interest, according to a complaint filed today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE).
Kushner co-founded Cadre and continues to own a significant part of it. In his public financial disclosure statement, however, he failed to disclose that ownership interest. He likely failed to disclose his ownership interest in documents connected with his request for a certificate of divestiture, meaning OGE apparently had incomplete information when it granted Kushner permission to sell similar assets and avoid paying certain taxes on them. These cannot be written off as minor oversights, as Cadre reportedly has a value of $800 million.
"Kushner's failure to disclose his ownership in Cadre is very troubling," CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said. "It appears to be one of his larger investments, not something he could easily overlook, and it is impossible to ensure that senior government officials are behaving ethically if they fail to disclose key assets."
Kushner also has not apparently divested from Cadre, even though it appears to present a similar conflict of interest to his other interests in the technology and electronic commerce sector that he and OGE agreed he needed to divest from in order to comply with conflict of interest laws and rules.
"OGE should investigate immediately and determine whether any sanction or referral is appropriate for Kushner's potential disclosure violations and whether it is necessary for him to fully divest from Cadre," Bookbinder said. "As one of the most senior members of the administration, it is of the utmost importance that Kushner is following ethics rules and regulations and avoiding conflicts of interest."
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials -- regardless of party affiliation -- who sacrifice the common good to special interests. CREW advances its mission using a combination of research, litigation and media outreach.
LATEST NEWS
World's Richest Man Elon Musk Denounced for Stoking Violence After Knife Attack in Belfast
"Elon Musk is a national security threat," said one London politician.
Jun 10, 2026
Politicians in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom on Wednesday were denouncing mobs of masked rioters who had spent Tuesday night setting fire to properties, buses, and cars in Belfast and forcing immigrant families to flee their homes in fear, following a stabbing attack in which a Sudanese immigrant is the suspect.
But along with the groups of anti-immigration agitators in the Northern Ireland capital and elsewhere in the country, local leaders reserved particular condemnation for one man who was thousands of miles away from the violence and who, as one member of Parliament said, has likely "never been to and possibly never heard of North Belfast" before he began inciting the mobs there: tech billionaire and right-wing megadonor Elon Musk.
After a graphic video of Monday night's attack on a Belfast man, Steven Ogilvy, circulated online Tuesday, Musk used his platform, X, to share a post by far-right, anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson in which Robinson had listed places where his supporters could gather to protest "yet another invader attack on our people."
"Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!" said Musk.
He also shared a post by MP Rupert Lowe of the far-right Restore Britain Party, which appeared to include a screenshot of the video of the knife attack and was captioned, "Millions must go."
At Novara Media, investigative journalist Paul Holden said far-right politicians and their supporters were pushing the "central lie" that "immigrants are an 'alien culture.'"
"'We've imported an alien culture that venerates bloodlust.'... That's not true," he said. "That fundamentally isn't true."
Protests against immigration spilled over into rioting in Belfast on Tuesday night.
The violence broke out after a 30-year-old Sudanese man was charged with attempted murder — which led Elon Musk and Restore's Rupert Lowe to call for the deportation of "millions".
On Novara… pic.twitter.com/7TYm2HPevU
— Novara Media (@novaramedia) June 10, 2026
After Musk, the world's richest person, broadcast the call to his 240 million followers in X, immigrant families in Belfast had to be escorted by emergency responders out of their homes as masked mobs set fire to their neighborhoods as well as creating roadblocks by moving garbage cans and setting them ablaze.
Sudanese business owners in central Belfast were forced to close their stores and lock them with steel shutters before 4:00 pm on Tuesday out of fear of being attacked. The Belfast Islamic Center canceled evening prayers.
“We are telling our congregation to go home, don’t go out, look after your children, don’t share rumors, and do listen to the authorities,” Ameer Ibrahim, a project manager, told The Guardian.
Anna Turley, a member of Parliament and chair of the Labour Party, suggested in an interview with Times Radio that Musk was one of many "bad faith actors who are sitting often many, many miles away. It’s easy for them to stoke these things up.”
Asked if she was referring to the Tesla CEO, Turley said, "He’s not living in the kind of communities where we’re seeing this kind of activity. He’s not at risk."
“He has a responsibility, everyone in public and civil life has a responsibility to call for calm and not to stoke grievance or hatred or division or tension that puts vulnerable people and our communities at risk," she added.
The suspect in Monday night's knife attack has been named as Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old man who claimed asylum when he entered Northern Ireland in 2023. Nearly 4 million people have been forced to flee Sudan since 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, exacerbating disease outbreaks and the country's economic and political instability.
Alodid has authorization to stay in the UK until 2028. He was charged with attempted murder and possessing a knife in a public place. Authorities say there is no indication that the attack was related to terrorism. He appeared in a magistrate court Wednesday where a judge refused Alodid bail and adjourned the case until July 8.
The victim of the attack lost his left eye and sustained injuries on his face and back, according to The Guardian.
His family released a statement through Phillip Brett, who represents Belfast North in the Legislative Assembly, saying that they were "completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved one" and emphasizing that the violence that rocked the city overnight Tuesday was "not welcome."
“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector, and we depend on them to make our country work," said the family. "We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility.”
John Finucane, a member of Parliament from North Belfast who represents Sinn Féin, told Sky News that Musk's decision to urge anti-immigrant mobs to gather in response to the attack was "not fair for the victim. It's not fair for the people of North Belfast who are trying to sew themselves back together after what they witnessed."
Sinn Féin MP John Finucane tells Sky's @cathynewman that Elon Musk's comments on the Belfast stabbing are 'not fair for the victims' pic.twitter.com/TujgQfJEgX
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 9, 2026
"They need our support," he said. "They do not need to be used for a wider political agenda."
Turley told LBC Wednesday that Musk's posts on the attack were "appalling."
"Anyone that is seeking to drive and exploit a situation like this to drive their own political agenda is grievously wrong and doing damage,” she said. “We’ve seen children, families having to flee their homes on the streets of Belfast last night... We do not want to see this kind of disruption, damage, thuggery, violence on our streets, and anyone that is seeking to whip that up should be condemned.”
Rob Blackie, a former London mayoral candidate for the Liberal Democrats Party, called on the UK to take "government action" to hold Musk accountable, including by regulating X.
"Thugs burning out people in Belfast can't be ignored," said Blackie. "Elon Musk is a national security threat."
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Virginia Republican Appears to Fake Phone Call to Dodge Question About GOP's Social Security Cuts Plan
"Wittman is just an embarrassment to Virginians everywhere," said one Democratic campaigner. "This phone call was about as serious as he takes the needs of his constituents."
Jun 10, 2026
A vulnerable House Republican went to comedic lengths on Tuesday to avoid answering questions about Speaker Mike Johnson's plans for possible Social Security cuts.
The Republican Speaker was recorded earlier this week saying that under a GOP plan to be released next year, popular programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security needed to be “adjusted and fixed"—comments that were widely interpreted as a signal that cuts to crucial benefits were in the works.
On Tuesday, as a reporter from Meidas Touch approached him to ask about Johnson's "secret plan to cut Social Security," Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) suddenly whipped out his cell phone and began speaking into it, apparently to avoid the difficult question.
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) faked a phone call for roughly 90 seconds after being asked about Speaker Mike Johnson’s comments regarding potential Social Security cuts.
The phone's screen remained visible, with his cheek inadvertently tapping different parts of the display. pic.twitter.com/y3ST5AX651
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) June 10, 2026
A video posted by the outlet shows Wittman walking and speaking into the phone while the screen was still visible, seeming to indicate that no phone call was actually taking place.
As Meidas described: “The phone’s screen remained visible, with his cheek inadvertently tapping" the phone and changing parts of the display, which does not occur when an actual phone call is happening.
Wittman's conversation, which went on for about 70 seconds, was vague and nonsensical: "Hey, how you doing? I’m good. I’m good with that. I’ll be there in just a few minutes," he said. "I've got some more efforts that I want to talk to you about. There are actually more things that we have to be working on."
Just before Wittman put his phone away, the reporter, who’d continued walking next to him, asked again: “Congressman, what is Mike Johnson’s secret plan to cut Social Security?” Wittman continued to walk, refusing to acknowledge the reporter, before speeding away.
According to Drop Site News reporter Julian Andreone, it’s not the first time Wittman has pulled such a stunt. He posted video of Wittman taking another conveniently-timed phone call last week, right as the journalist approached to ask about a proposal in the next military spending bill to integrate the US and Israeli militaries.
Oh hey! He did this to me & @DropSiteNews last week! https://t.co/lR40fjKNw1 pic.twitter.com/kGs69cL9Ec
— Julian Andreone (@JulianAndreone) June 10, 2026
This interaction came a day after Johnson complained on a radio show on Monday about the large amount of spending on “entitlement programs,” as Republican lawmakers have long called earned benefits, and suggested unspecified changes.
“The reason we’re in trouble is because over 74% of federal spending is on autopilot, mandatory spending. That’s your entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and things like Social Security,” Johnson said. “They have to be adjusted and fixed. We have a plan to do that next year.”
The next day, a report from the Social Security Board of Trustees showed that the popular retirement program would be unable to pay out full benefits by 2032, a quarter earlier than projected last year.
Nancy Altman, the president of Social Security Works, said that the shortfall has been exacerbated by Trump policies that have slashed revenue going toward the program, including a tax bill that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy, tariffs that have slowed economic growth, the war with Iran, and policies targeting immigrants.
It is perhaps understandable why Wittman might want to avoid giving more details on Johnson's plan. Voters overwhelmingly oppose efforts to raise the retirement age, cut benefits, or raise workers' payroll taxes, all of which have roughly three-quarters disapproval or more, according to a late-May survey by the Ronald Reagan Institute.
Amid high inflation and soaring gas prices, a YouGov/Economist poll on Tuesday showed that approval of Trump's handling of the economy has hit a new low point of just 29%, compared to 63% disapproval. That disgruntlement has filtered down ballot to the point where Republicans' longstanding advantage over Democrats on the economy has evaporated, which puts candidates in competitive districts like Wittman in jeopardy this November.
Democrats are already incorporating Johnson's comments into their midterm messaging. A release on Tuesday from the Democratic National Committee War Room noted that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Republicans and signed by Trump last year is projected to add potentially as much as $5 trillion to the national debt over ten years, largely to pay for tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while cutting safety net programs like Medicaid.
It also highlighted comments by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last year describing the "Trump accounts" enacted as part of the megabill as a "backdoor for privatizing Social Security."
"Donald Trump and his loyal foot soldiers in Congress aren’t even trying to hide their plans to gut programs that hardworking Americans rely on," said DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer. "Trump and Republicans already made the largest cut to Medicaid in history, and now they are taking every opportunity to sell out working families and rip away retirement benefits, healthcare, and food assistance.”
Attorney Salaam Bhatti, one of several Democrats running in a crowded primary to challenge Wittman, used the embarrassing clip of him as a springboard.
"I'm running for Congress against him," he said of Wittman. "My platform: Don't ignore people, Medicare for All, tax billionaires, campaign finance reform."
Matt Royer, a digital strategist for Democrats in Virginia, said: “Wittman is just an embarrassment to Virginians everywhere. This phone call was about as serious as he takes the needs of his constituents in VA-1. Is it any wonder this race is now a tossup?”
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"This isn’t just ‘bad vibes’ about the economy," said one economist. "There is real pain."
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President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign vowed to bring down the cost of living starting on the very first day of his presidency.
However, data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Wednesday showed overall prices in May posted a yearly increase of 4.2%, marking the highest rate of inflation since 2023. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy costs, posted a yearly increase of 2.9%, the highest rate since September 2023.
Energy prices, which have skyrocketed since Trump launched an illegal war of choice with Iran in late February, were the primary driver of inflation last month, posting a 23.5% yearly increase from May 2025.
Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, noted that inflation last month was "so high that it's erasing all wage gains," which posted a yearly gain of 3.4% in May.
"Americans are getting squeezed financially," Long explained. "This isn't just 'bad vibes' about the economy. There is real pain, especially for middle-class and lower-income households. It's tough because so many basic items are seeing sizable price increases: gas, electricity, food, medical care."
"Americans are getting squeezed financially," Long explained. "This isn't just 'bad vibes' about the economy. There is real pain, especially for middle-class and lower-income households. It's tough because so many basic items are seeing sizable price increases: gas, electricity, food, medical care."
New York Times economics reporter Ben Casselman similarly noted the impact that rising energy costs, which are a direct result of Trump's Iran war, have had on Americans' earnings.
"The recent surge in energy prices has wiped out more than a year's worth of wage gains," Casselman wrote in a social media post. "Average hourly earnings, adjusted for inflation, are now back to exactly where they were when Trump returned to office."
Economist Steve Rattner posted a chart showing how energy prices exploded after Trump attacked Iran, which retaliated by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial shipping.
"An entirely self-inflicted wound caused by Trump’s war on Iran," Rattner remarked.
The inflation story in one chart: gas +40% y/y, energy +24%.
An entirely self-inflicted wound caused by Trump’s War on Iran. pic.twitter.com/LnM5AKkXeA
— Steven Rattner (@SteveRattner) June 10, 2026
Charlie Bilello, chief marketing strategist at Creative Planning Investor, said the latest inflation numbers were so concerning that the US Federal Reserve "should be hiking rates" at its next meeting.
A decision to hike rates would likely anger Trump, who frequently pressured former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to slash rates.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) responded to the inflation report by taking a shot at Trump for his economic mismanagement, including his tariffs on imported goods that have raised costs for US consumers.
"Trump promised repeatedly that he would 'end inflation' starting on day one but by almost every measure, he's failed to achieve those goals," Beyer said. "And far from lowering costs, his tariffs have only made the affordability crisis worse for the American people."
Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the Groundwork Collaborative, said the new data makes clear that "high prices are here to stay."
"This month’s CPI print offers no relief to working families, who are being forced to pinch pennies and tighten belts in Trump’s economy," said Jacquez. "Working Americans no longer have any breathing room in their budgets and are dipping into their savings while the president spends millions in taxpayer funds to attend the NBA Finals. Trump’s betrayal of the working class has done lasting damage to our economy.”
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