Kushner Lawyer Plans Suit Over Book's $2 Billion Fund Claims

Jared Kushner's legal team is preparing to sue the author of an upcoming book that alleges the former White House adviser controlled over $2 billion in secret funds from Middle Eastern leaders. Kushner rejected the claims on Thursday night, calling them baseless and defamatory.

The book, titled Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East, argues that Kushner had access to slush money accounts. The author, journalist Matthew Cole, asserts that leaders in the region used these funds to buy influence within the U.S. government. An excerpt published in Vanity Fair details these allegations.

According to the excerpt, Dutch intelligence agents discovered in 2017 that Russian spies had hacked Kushner's iPhone. The Dutch service reportedly gained access to the device after turning a Russian asset. The report claims agents watched Kushner log into a United Arab Emirates account that received hundreds of millions of dollars from an Azerbaijani bank.

The text states that Saudi Arabia and the UAE deposited at least $2 billion into several accounts tied to Kushner, with one held at Israel's Central Bank. The excerpt says these accounts were disguised as government bodies or charities. It alleges the money was intended for off the books diplomatic objectives, such as ending the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The book further claims Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman placed roughly $1 billion in at least one account for Kushner's personal benefit.

Kushner denied every claim on the record, stating that the author provided not a single shred of verifiable evidence. He noted that no bank statements, wire transfer records, account numbers, or transaction dates were provided to support the narrative. His attorney described the claims as false and defamatory and said they plan to pursue legal action against those responsible.

The White House also responded to the publication. Steven Cheung, the White House director of communications, wrote on X that the source book was complete fiction. He described Cole as a failed spy thriller writer and said the book presented no evidence or documentation, only mysterious words from unnamed sources.