Kushner: relationship with Murdoch ex not political
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump yesterday denied claims that Wendi Deng Murdoch had used their longstanding friendship “to further the interests of the Chinese government”.
The Chinese-American former wife of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch lobbied the couple over a garden project in Washington that was funded by Beijing, The Wall Street
Journal reported on Monday. That led US intelligence officials to advise Mr Kushner that it could amount to espionage. The claim concerns a $100 million (Dh367.3m) Chinese garden at the National Arboretum, which includes a 21-metre tower.
Fearing the tower would be used for surveillance at a location close to the Capitol and the White House, US counterintelligence agencies blocked the project.
While confirming the meeting between Mr Kushner – son-in-law and senior adviser of president Donald Trump – and US intelligence officials early last year, his representative denied the Journal’s report.
Mr Kushner’s spokesman insisted the relationship with Mr Murdoch’s former wife was years old and more personal than political.
The couple had “been friends with Rupert and Wendi Murdoch for a decade before coming to Washington and their relationship is neither political nor about China”, the representative said.
He described the contact with US intelligence officials as a “routine senior staff security briefing”.
Mr Kushner, he said, “has complied with all ethics and disclosure recommendations and has played a helpful role in strengthening the US-China relationship, so as to help bring about a better resolution to the many issues the countries have”.
Ms Murdoch and the news mogul divorced in 2013 after 14 years of marriage. On social media, she posted photos from Mr Kushner’s birthday party in 2016 and Mr Trump’s inauguration.
Her spokesman said she “has no knowledge of any FBI concerns or other intelligence agency concerns relating to her or her associations” or “of any garden projects funded by the Chinese government”.
But speculation that Ms Murdoch could be a spy for the Chinese government only grew after the report.
Michael Wolff, author of the bestseller Fire and Fury about the Trump presidency, tweeted: “Since their divorce, Murdoch has been telling anybody who would listen that Wendi is a Chinese spy, and had been throughout the marriage.”
An alleged affair between Ms Murdoch and former British prime minister Tony Blair triggered the divorce.
Later, rumours surfaced about another affair between Ms Murdoch, now 49, and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Mr Blair and Ms Murdoch have denied any misconduct.
In his book, Mr Wolff details relations between the Kushners and the Murdochs, and how Mr Kushner helped his father-in-law to improve his rapport with Mr Murdoch after winning the White House in 2016.
US intelligence agencies regularly brief American officials about ties to foreign companies and entities, on account of potential threats to national security.
Ms Trump and Mr Kushner have worked on improving US relations with China, and their daughter Arabella Rose, 6, speaks Mandarin.
Mr Kushner was last seen with Ms Murdoch in November, during the US president’s trip to Asia.