Christie Accuses Jared Kushner of Orchestrating His Dismissal from Trump Campaign
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has publicly asserted that Jared Kushner, son-in-law to former President Donald Trump, was responsible for his removal from the 2016 presidential transition team. Christie alleges this was an act of retribution for his role as state attorney general in prosecuting Charles Kushner, Jared's father, over a decade earlier.
The Historic Prosecution of Charles Kushner
While serving as New Jersey's attorney general in 2005, Chris Christie secured a guilty plea from Charles Kushner on multiple federal charges. The charges included tax evasion, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission regarding campaign contributions, and witness tampering. Notably, Charles Kushner also admitted to orchestrating a complex scheme to retaliate against a brother-in-law cooperating with investigators, which involved hiring a prostitute, secretly filming an encounter, and intending to send the tape to his sister.
Charles Kushner pleaded guilty to 18 counts and served 14 months in federal prison in 2006. He was subsequently disbarred. However, in a controversial move as he was leaving office in 2020, President Donald Trump issued a full pardon to Charles Kushner.
"I Know It Was Jared": Christie's Allegations on Podcast
Appearing on The Fifth Column podcast, Christie detailed the lingering animosity from Jared Kushner. "I know it was Jared," Christie stated emphatically. "Because both Donald Trump and Steve Bannon told me it was Jared." He described how, even a decade after the prosecution, Jared Kushner remained angry and actively campaigned against Christie's involvement in the Trump campaign.
Christie recounted a specific incident when Trump was about to name him head of the transition team. "The day that Trump was naming me, [Jared Kushner] went into Trump's office and said, 'You can't do that.' And made the argument against me, in front of me," Christie said. Among the arguments allegedly presented was that Christie should never have prosecuted Charles Kushner because it was a "family dispute" that "should have been handled by the rabbis." Christie quipped in response, "I was thinking to myself, I didn't know that Title 18 of the U.S. code was under the rabbi's jurisdiction."
From Transition Head to Firing Amid "Bridgegate"
Despite Jared Kushner's objections, Christie was appointed to lead the transition team in May 2016. However, his tenure lasted only about six months. In November 2016, Christie was fired. He attributes this dismissal directly to Jared Kushner's insistence, compounded by the ongoing "Bridgegate" scandal in New Jersey, which involved lane closures on the George Washington Bridge for political retribution.
Christie speculated on Jared Kushner's motivations beyond mere revenge. "I think the single biggest reason Jared got into the Trump White House was to ensure that his father would be pardoned," he remarked during the podcast interview.
Aftermath and Current Controversies
Following his dismissal, Christie initially remained aligned with Trump and his allies but gradually distanced himself, eventually becoming one of the president's most vocal Republican critics. Meanwhile, Charles Kushner's post-pardon trajectory has included significant political appointments.
Last year, Trump appointed Charles Kushner to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to France. This role has recently sparked diplomatic tensions. Kushner was temporarily banned from meetings with French government officials after failing to attend a summons to explain comments he made about the death of a far-right activist in Lyon. This incident has placed the ambassador under renewed scrutiny, highlighting the ongoing controversies surrounding the Kushner family.
The Independent has reached out to a representative for Jared Kushner for comment on Christie's allegations, but no response has been provided at this time.
