Donald Trumpās administration is facing new questions about conflicts of interest after Jared Kushnerās family staged events in China to woo wealthy investors into luxury developments, with the prospect of receiving US green cards in return. On Saturday, Kushnerās sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, took to the stage at an event at Beijingās Ritz-Carlton hotel to urge Chinese investors to back One Journal Square, two skyscrapers currently being built in New Jersey. Members of the audience of 100 were reportedly told that if they stumped up at least half a million dollars for the project they could become US residents under a controversial cash-for-residency program that is known in China as the āgolden visaā.
CNN reported that Meyer touted Jared Kushnerās position in the White House. āIn 2008, my brother Jared Kushner joined the family company as CEO, and recently moved to Washington to join the administration,ā she said.
According to the New York Times, which was subsequently ejected from the seminar along with the Washington Post, Meyer told investors: ā means a lot to me and my entire familyā.
A slide shown during the pitch identified Trump as a ākey decision makerā in the controversial EB-5 immigrant investor program, for which there has been an explosion of Chinese applications in recent years. āInvest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States,ā the eventās brochure claimed, according to the Washington Post, which first reported the story.
Meyer pointed out that her brother had left the family firm in January to join the Trump White House, but the Kushner familyās attempt to woo Chinese investors drew immediate criticism in the US. Washington insiders say Jared Kushner has played a central role in the recent warming of ties between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and has become a key point of contact for Chinaās ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai.
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