Jared Kushner's lawyers aim to sue author over $2 billion Gulf fund book claims

Jared Kushner rejected allegations on Thursday that a hacked iPhone exposed billions of dollars in hidden funds from Middle Eastern governments. The claims appear in an excerpt from a new book by journalist Matthew Cole. Kushner called the report baseless and his legal team prepared to sue the author.

The book, titled Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East, asserts Kushner accessed more than $2 billion in slush money. The funds allegedly came from regional leaders to buy influence in the U.S. government. The excerpt focuses on Kushner's time as a senior White House adviser in the first Trump administration.

According to the report, Dutch intelligence agents discovered in 2017 that Russia had hacked Kushner's iPhone. The Dutch gained access to the device after turning a Russian spy. The excerpt states the agents could see the phone's screen and captured every image Kushner viewed. They reportedly watched him log into a United Arab Emirates account that received hundreds of millions of dollars from an Azerbaijani bank.

The book claims Saudi Arabia and the UAE deposited at least $2 billion into several bank accounts tied to Kushner. One account was held at Israel's Central Bank. The report says these accounts were often presented as official government bodies or charities. The money was intended for off-the-books diplomatic objectives, such as brokering a peace deal for Israel and Palestine. A person with knowledge of the money told the author that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman placed roughly $1 billion in one account for Kushner's personal benefit.

Kushner issued a statement Thursday night denying the claims. He said the allegations were completely insane and never happened. He noted that his side denied every claim on the record, yet the author provided no verifiable evidence. He stated that no bank statements, wire transfer records, account numbers, or transaction dates were included.

Kushner's attorney described the claims as false and defamatory. The legal team plans to pursue legal action against those responsible, though they did not specify who that includes. The White House directed media to a statement from Steven Cheung, the president's assistant and director of communications. Cheung called the source book complete fiction and said it was fabricated by a failed spy thriller writer. He argued the book presents no documentation, only mysterious words from unnamed sources.