A map by Newsweek shows the extent of travel undertaken by Jared Kushner in his role as President Donald Trump's envoy as the White House defended criticism following a lawsuit by a political watchdog. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has accused Kushner of not being properly vetted for the role as one of Trump's top foreign policy representatives. Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy, are two of Trump's most influential diplomats, although neither is Senate-confirmed.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also names Witkoff. "Kushner holds a continuing position and wields significant government authority without having been confirmed by the Senate and without having filed a single financial disclosure," the suit says.
CREW said in a statement that Kushner must be blocked "from continuing to perform his outsized role" and be made to file financial disclosure statements that are legally required from U.S. government officials. The White House told Newsweek on Thursday: "The use of private diplomatic envoys to deal with delicate international situations is a presidential practice that dates back to George Washington’s presidency. Jared Kushner is a volunteer and not serving in any official capacity.” Kushner's attorney, Chad Mizelle, said in a statement on X that the lawsuit “is without merit.” CREW posted the lawsuit on its X channel on Wednesday.
It accused Kushner of unlawfully acting as one of the country's top diplomats without undergoing Senate confirmation or filing financial disclosures. Constitution’s Appointments Clause requires that those with government positions who exercise significant authority be approved by the Senate. CREW said that Kushner has exercised significant diplomatic power, meeting foreign officials and representing the U.S. to discuss wars between the United States and Iran, Ukraine and Russia, and conflicts in the Middle East.
CREW also referred to the investment firm Kushner runs, Affinity Partners, which manages more than $6 billion in assets, around 99 percent of which are owned by foreign investors. The Ethics in Government Act requires those nominated to such positions to file public financial disclosures whether they receive compensation or not, it added. Mizelle said on X that outside ethics counsel and government ethics attorneys reviewed Kushner’s "volunteer government service" and confirmed that it complies "with applicable ethics requirements." Kushner gets no government salary, pays his own expenses and "will continue working with counsel to ensure ongoing compliance,” Mizelle added.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek: "CREW is an unserious, Trump-deranged organization that has been attacking President Trump, his family and his administration since the first term. Jared Kushner is a proven dealmaker" whose record of success "speaks for itself." "His personal business activities have nothing to do with his diplomatic engagements, which he conducts on a volunteer basis at the president’s request and while paying his own expenses," the statement added. CREW named the countries that Kushner has visited, often with Witkoff, since Trump returned to office in January 2025, citing reports of the trips.
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