Apollo, Citigroup loaned Kushner Companies millions: New York Times

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind U.S. President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 1, 2017.

Apollo’s $184 million loan in November was aimed at refinancing the mortgage on a Chicago skyscraper, while Citigroup’s $325 million amount in the spring of 2017 was directed at financing office buildings in Brooklyn, the Times said.

Kushner met with Apollo founder Joshua Harris in the White House multiple times last year and even discussed the possibility of a White House job for Harris, sources told the newspaper.

Ethics experts have long frowned on the idea of senior administration officials with active corporate activities because of potential conflicts of interests.

A spokesman for Kushner’s lawyer told the Times that he “has taken no part of any business, loans or projects with or for” Kushner Companies since joining the White House.

Still, the Times’ report is the latest in a series of worrying claims about the Trump family profiting from the presidency, which has sparked concern both inside and outside the White House.

Kushner’s relations with foreign government officials is a key reason why he’s been unable to obtain permanent security clearance, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The 37 year-old’s top-secret government security clearance was recently downgraded.