Ex-Trump Official Says Jared Kushner's 'Volunteer' Status Hides Financial Gains Amid Global Peace Efforts

Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham criticized Jared Kushner's "volunteer" status, arguing that his unpaid role as a Middle East envoy lets him bypass mandatory federal ethics disclosures while securing major financial gains.

During an interview with CNN anchor Erin Burnett, Grisham pointed out that Kushner's position shields his private business operations from standard governmental oversight.

"None of this surprises me," Grisham said. "I recall back in our Trump administration, he had his hands in everything."

Grisham said Kushner used to talk about embattled Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as if he were a friend.

"I remember he used to bring Bibi up as if it was just like an old guy he plays basketball with. He would drop his name so casually," she revealed. "Jared had a way of, you know, making it seem like he was this mover and shaker, and don't worry, he'll fix everything."

The criticism comes during a CNN investigation revealing that Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Partners, holds a massive stake in Phoenix Financial, making it the largest shareholder in an entity with over $456 million invested in Israeli defense companies that are experiencing growth during the conflict in Gaza.

"After the first Trump administration, as you guys probably know, Affinity Partners was committed $2 billion from Saudi Arabia. And now I believe its assets are around $6 billion," Grisham said. "Meanwhile, he's calling himself a volunteer. I mean, that's great volunteer work if you can get it, I guess."

She added, "I don't mean to be glib, but the reason he's a volunteer is that you don't have to then claim and show a lot of the money that you make during the time as a temporary public worker."

Government accountability groups like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) have also repeatedly pressed the administration to require Kushner to file public financial statements, citing severe conflict-of-interest risks given his active role in international negotiations while managing billions in foreign funding.

“Given Kushner’s significant power to set foreign policy — including on ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the public urgently needs clarity on his role and his financial entanglements,” wrote CREW. “So long as Kushner fails to file a public financial disclosure and divest from any conflicting assets, the public cannot trust that he is working in their best interest.”

White House spokespeople have maintained that Kushner acts strictly as a private citizen, which exempts him from standard disclosure rules.

Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, reported between $172 million and $640 million in outside income during their official White House years (2017-2021), followed by massive post-White House private equity backing, including a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund into Kushner's firm, which has reaped over $150 million in management fees.