The Senate confirmed New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of President Trump's son-in-law Charles Kushner, to be ambassador to France.
Kushner was confirmed 51-45, overcoming scrutiny of his past convictions for tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions. President Trump pardoned Kushner in December 2020, citing his charitable work.
Kushner was prosecuted by then-U.S. attorney Chris Christie for tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and witness tampering.
The witness tampering charge stemmed from Kushner's effort to blackmail his brother-in-law by hiring a prostitute to seduce him. Kushner spent two years in federal prison for his crimes.
Kushner expressed remorse for his past to the Senate, saying he had learned from his mistakes.
“I don’t sit here before you today and tell you I’m a perfect person,” Kushner told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing. “I am not a perfect person.”
“I made a very, very, very serious mistake, and I paid a very heavy price for that mistake,” he said. “I think that my past mistakes actually make me better with my judgment, better in my view of life, better in my values to really make me more qualified to do this job.”
New Jersey Democratic senator Cory Booker, a regular Trump critic, voted to confirm Kushner. He was the only Democrat to do so.
Kushner, a New Jersey real estate mogul, supported Booker's political career early on in Newark, backing his first unsuccessful bid to be mayor of the city, as reported by the New Jersey Globe.
Booker defended his vote for Kushner, pointing to Kushner's work on the First Step Act, the criminal justice reform law signed by Trump in his first term.
“I have passionate differences and disagreements with Charlie Kushner, but I supported his confirmation because he has been unrelenting in reforming our criminal justice system and has substantively helped achieve the liberation of thousands of people from unjust incarceration,” Kushner said.
At his confirmation hearing, Kushner acknowledged Booker for his "special and close friendship."
Trump called Kushner, the founder of Kushner Companies, a "tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker" while announcing his nomination for the ambassadorial post.
Kushner's son Jared is the husband of Ivanka Trump, President Trump's daughter. Jared and Ivanka served as top advisers in the first Trump White House but opted not to return for Trump's second term.
