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Donald Trump’s Next Legal Headache: Ivanka and Jared?

Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at Fountain Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.
Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at Fountain Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona.

Subpoenas issued for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner: The former president’s daughter and son-in-law have mostly disappeared from the public eye since Donald Trump left office and seem unlikely to have anything to do with the 2024 campaign or a second White House stint. But, they’ve now been pulled into the Special Counsel probe. 

Donald Trump Has a New Legal Headache

Former President Donald Trump, in one of his many breaks from the norm in his presidency, had both his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner working for him as senior White House aides. Kushner was even given such major portfolios as the COVID-19 response and Middle East peace negotiations. 

The couple, after Donald Trump left office, moved to Florida and appear completely uninvolved in Trump’s 2024 campaign; Ivanka Trump actually issued a statement announcing her lack of involvement, although her husband did appear at Trump’s campaign kickoff event in November. 

“While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena. I am grateful to have had the honor of serving the American people and will always be proud of many of our administration’s accomplishments,” Ivanka Trump said last November. 

What We Know

But on Wednesday, both were issued subpoenas by the Special Counsel investigating the former president’s role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection

The two family members of the former president have been subpoenaed to testify before the federal grand jury looking into Trump’s attempts to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election.

Both the president’s daughter and son-in-law testified previously before the January 6 Select Committee.

Most memorably, in testimony played by the Committee on television, Ivanka Trump said she agreed with then-Attorney General William Barr about the lack of actual fraud in the 2020 election. 

The issuing of subpoenas, per the Times, “underscores how deeply into Mr. Trump’s inner circle Mr. Smith is reaching, and is the latest sign that no potential high-level witness is off limits.”

Smith had already subpoenaed Vice President Mike Pence, who has said that he will fight the subpoena.

 Smith’s office has also reportedly sought to compel testimony from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Evan Corcoran, the Trump attorney, was reportedly subpoenaed by Smith in relation to the Mar-a-Lago document retention side of the case. 

The Hill interpreted the news about the Jared and Ivanka subpoenas as an indication that Smith’s office is ramping up its case, although there is as usual no specific timetable about charging decisions. 

Ivanka Trump was with her father for part of the day on January 6. Kushner on that day was returning from a trip to the Middle East and arrived at the White House later in the day. 

Per the Times, and most other reporting about January 6 in the two years since, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump “were involved in efforts to get Mr. Trump to tell the rioters to go home, and then to commit to a peaceful transfer of power to Mr. Biden.” 

The grand jury looking into the January 6 matter is not the only active one involving Trump. In the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into wrongdoing by Trump, reportedly focused on his alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, prosecutors have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury, it was reported last month.  

More Legal Drama for Trump

And as was all over the news earlier this week, a “special grand jury” in Georgia has wrapped up its work in the case involving Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state.

Emily Kohrs, the foreperson of that grand jury, went on a media tour this week, in which she hinted to multiple news outlets that the special grand jury had recommended an indictment of Donald Trump.

Some commentators said that Trump’s attorneys could use Kohrs’ statements as the basis for a motion to dismiss, although the Georgia special grand jury could only recommend charges, not actually bring them. 

Expertise and Experience: Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Written By

Stephen Silver is a journalist, essayist, and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

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