Bank regulators want details on Kushner loans

Banking regulators in New York have asked a German bank and two local lenders for details on their relationships with White House adviser Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law.

New York’s Department of Financial Services sent requests to Deutsche Bank, Signature Bank and the New York Community Bank for documentation on their communications with Kushner businesses regarding loan requests, according to Bloomberg. 

A spokeswoman for the family’s businesses, Kushner Cos., which Kushner divested himself from upon entering the administration, said the company had not received a letter and told Bloomberg the inquiries were “harassment solely for political reasons.”

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Deutsche Bank denied reports last month that it had flagged an account linked to Kushner for “suspicious transactions.” Several news organizations reported that the bank alerted regulators to suspicious activity in the accounts of Kushner’s lucrative family real estate businesses.  

Kushner currently holds a joint line of credit from Deutsche Bank with his mother, as well as lines of credit from the other two banks with his father all ranging from $5 million to $25 million, according to a government disclosure filed in December. 

The president’s son-in-law is also facing scrutiny in the White House, where his top-secret security clearance was downgraded after chief of staff John Kelly cracked down on staffers who have been operating on interim clearances. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that at least four foreign governments have discussed using Kushner’s business interests as leverage over him.