Skeletons In The Closet: Inside The Kushner's Family's Drama & Scandals

Long before their association with former President Donald Trump, ex-Senior Presidential Advisor Jared Kushner and his real estate mogul family have been no strangers to the press, making headlines for their legal woes and business dealings throughout the years.

From the arrest of Jared’s dad, Charles Kushner, to the emotional moment that shaped the former White House staffer’s problem-solving philosophy, here’s a look inside some of the Kushner family’s most dramatic moments.

Once a revered real estate developer, Charles’ legal woes first began in 2003 when he found himself under investigation for making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors were aided by Charles’ brother-in-law and former business partner, William Schulder.

Upon learning of Schulder’s cooperation, an evidently-irked Charles devised a plan, in an attempt to “scheme for revenge and intimidation,” per the Chicago Tribune, hiring a sex worker to seduce his former colleague, capturing their steamy encounter on camera.

Charles ultimately showed this footage to his sister, Schulder’s wife.

The real estate mogul’s plan ultimately backfired. In 2005, Charles was convicted of several crimes, including illegal campaign contributions and witness tampering for which he served 14 months in federal prison before being transferred to a halfway house.

He was later pardoned by President Trump in December 2020.

Despite helping his father through these tough times, Jared admitted his dad’s legal woes took a toll on him.

“After a couple days of spending time with him and getting that situation as settled as it was going to get, I get back to New York, back to my apartment on Mercer Street and I basically just sat on the floor and I started crying.” the businessman revealed in a new sit-down interview, published on Sunday September 11.

“I realized my life had changed and I realized that there was a lot of things I was angry at,” Jared continued, sharing that in that moment, he felt negative emotions towards his dad’s siblings, the prosecutors in his father’s case and even his old man “to a degree.”

JARED KUSHNER ADMITS HE 'SAT ON THE FLOOR AND STARTED CRYING' AFTER HIS DAD'S LEGAL WOES WERE REVEALED

Even amid this anger, Jared cited this moment as serving a crucial role in helping him refine his problem-solving philosophy, focusing on finding a solution to issues rather than sitting with feelings that are not “productive.”

“Any time there was a challenge, a lot of people get very angry or trying to figure out why it happened or what they could’ve done different,” he said. “I always would just say ‘OK, well, it is what it is, how do I take the variables we have and try to make it as good as it can be?’”

Not everyone seemingly agreed with President Trump’s approach. Roughly one year before Charles’ pardon, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who oversaw the businessman’s case as U.S. Attorney, doubled down on his decision to prosecute the case.

“Mr. Kushner pled guilty. He admitted the crimes,” Christie recalled back in 2019, dubbing the ordeal as “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he had prosecuted.

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“And so what am I supposed to do as a prosecutor?” Christie mused. “I mean, if a guy hires a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, and videotapes it, and then sends the videotape to his sister to attempt to intimidate her from testifying before a grand jury, do I really need any more justification than that?"