Charles Kushner

Charles Kushner
Born:	May 16, 1954 Elizabeth, New Jersey
Charges:	Assisting in filing false tax returns (16 counts), Retaliating against a federal witness (1 count), False statements to the Federal Election Commission (1 count)
Sentence:	2 years
Facility:	FPC Montgomery
Status:	Released; Pardoned

Charles Kushner (born May 16, 1954) is an American real estate developer and diplomat. He founded Kushner Companies in 1985 and built it into one of the largest property holders in New Jersey. In August 2004 he pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark to 18 counts. Sixteen counts covered assisting in the filing of false tax returns. One count covered retaliating against a cooperating federal witness. One count covered making false statements to the Federal Election Commission.

The witness-tampering count grew out of a federal campaign finance investigation. Kushner's brother-in-law, William Schulder, was cooperating with prosecutors. Kushner hired a prostitute to approach Schulder, arranged for the encounter to be recorded, and had the recording sent to his sister, Schulder's wife. The investigation and prosecution were led by Chris Christie, then the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares sentenced Kushner on March 4, 2005, to two years in federal prison. Kushner served at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama, and was released in 2006. President Donald Trump granted him a full pardon in December 2020. Trump's daughter Ivanka is married to Kushner's son Jared. In 2025 the U.S. Senate confirmed Kushner as U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco.

Background and Real Estate Career

Kushner was born on May 16, 1954, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. His parents, Joseph and Rae Kushner, were Holocaust survivors from Novogrudok, in what is now Belarus. They reached the United States in 1949. Kushner grew up in Elizabeth with an older brother, Murray, and a sister, Esther.

His father worked in construction before moving into real estate. By the time Charles entered the business, the family portfolio held roughly 4,000 apartments. Kushner earned a bachelor's degree from New York University and a law degree from Hofstra University School of Law in 1979. He joined his father's company that same year.

In 1985 Kushner founded Kushner Companies and based it in Florham Park, New Jersey. His father died that year. Kushner shifted the business toward acquiring properties rather than only developing them. He expanded out of New Jersey into New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida, concentrating on residential apartments. By 1999 the firm held more than 10,000 residential apartments and had added homebuilding, commercial and industrial holdings, and a community bank. That year Kushner won the Ernst & Young New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year award.

By 2004 the company controlled roughly 25,000 apartment units. That made Kushner one of the largest landlords in New Jersey. His elder son, Jared, took over management of the company after Charles's conviction. Jared married Ivanka Trump in 2009 and later served as a senior advisor in the Trump White House. Charles's younger son, Joshua, became a venture capitalist.

Federal Case

Federal investigators examined Kushner's tax filings and his political contributions. Chris Christie, then the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, led the investigation. Prosecutors found that Kushner had made political contributions in the names of his partnerships and employees without proper attribution, in violation of campaign finance law. They also found that he had assisted in preparing false tax returns over several years.

The case moved into new territory when Kushner's brother-in-law, William Schulder, began cooperating with prosecutors. Schulder, a former Kushner employee, was married to Kushner's sister, Esther. In 2003 Kushner hired a prostitute to make contact with Schulder. The encounter was recorded. Kushner then had the recording sent to his sister.

The plan did not work. The Schulders turned the recording over to prosecutors. Investigators located the woman involved, and she agreed to cooperate. The episode added a witness-retaliation charge to the case.

On August 18, 2004, Kushner pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark. The plea covered 18 counts: 16 counts of assisting in the filing of false tax returns, one count of retaliating against a cooperating witness, and one count of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. The case was docketed as United States v. Kushner, 2:04-cr-00580, in the District of New Jersey.

Christie has described the case in blunt terms in the years since. He called it "one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. Attorney."

Sentencing and Incarceration

U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares sentenced Kushner on March 4, 2005, in Newark. The plea agreement set a range of 18 to 24 months. Linares imposed 24 months, the top of that range. He described Kushner's conduct as "disgraceful and reprehensible."

The court also imposed financial penalties. Linares fined Kushner $40,000, the maximum under the sentencing guidelines as applied. Kushner was ordered to pay $508,900 to the Federal Election Commission for the campaign contribution violations.

Kushner served his sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama, a minimum-security facility. After about 14 months he was moved to a halfway house in Newark to finish the term. He was released in 2006. While Charles was incarcerated, his son Jared ran Kushner Companies.

Pardon and Diplomatic Appointment

President Donald Trump granted Kushner a full and unconditional pardon on December 23, 2020. Trump's daughter Ivanka is married to Kushner's son Jared. The pardon was issued the same day as pardons for Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, and Roger Stone, a longtime political advisor.

The White House statement on the pardon noted Kushner's philanthropic activity after his release. It cited his support for Saint Barnabas Medical Center and United Cerebral Palsy. The statement said his "record of reform and charity" outweighed his conviction.

On November 30, 2024, President-elect Trump announced that he would nominate Kushner as U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco. The nomination went to the Senate in early 2025.

The Senate confirmed Kushner on May 19, 2025, by a vote of 51 to 45. He was sworn in on July 11, 2025. The appointment made Kushner the U.S. envoy to France roughly two decades after his federal conviction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What did Charles Kushner do?

In August 2004 Kushner pleaded guilty in federal court to 18 counts. Sixteen counts covered assisting in the filing of false tax returns. One count covered retaliating against a cooperating federal witness, his brother-in-law William Schulder. One count covered making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. The witness-retaliation count involved hiring a prostitute to approach Schulder, recording the encounter, and sending the recording to Kushner's sister.

Q: How long was Charles Kushner's prison sentence?

Judge Jose L. Linares sentenced Kushner to two years in federal prison on March 4, 2005. The plea agreement set a range of 18 to 24 months, and the judge imposed the top of that range. Kushner served at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama, spent about 14 months there, then finished his term at a halfway house in Newark. He was released in 2006.

Q: Who prosecuted Charles Kushner?

Chris Christie prosecuted the case as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. Christie later served as Governor of New Jersey and ran for president. He has called the witness-retaliation scheme "one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes" he prosecuted as U.S. Attorney.

Q: Was Charles Kushner pardoned?

Yes. President Donald Trump granted Kushner a full and unconditional pardon on December 23, 2020. Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka. The same day, Trump pardoned Paul Manafort and Roger Stone.

Q: Is Charles Kushner the U.S. Ambassador to France?

Yes. The Senate confirmed Kushner as U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco on May 19, 2025, by a vote of 51 to 45. He was sworn in on July 11, 2025. Trump first announced the nomination on November 30, 2024.

Q: Where did Charles Kushner serve his sentence?

Kushner served at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama, a minimum-security facility. After about 14 months he was transferred to a halfway house in Newark, New Jersey, to complete the two-year term.

See also

• Tax Evasion
• Presidential Clemency and Pardons
• FPC_Montgomery_(minimum-security)