TRANSPARENCY

Kushner Firm Ordered to Reveal Mystery Investors in Baltimore Properties

A federal judge says “the presence of the Kushner (and therefore Trump) families” in the case gives the public the right to know.

A federal judge on Friday ordered White House senior adviser Jared Kushner’s family real estate company to reveal the identities of its partners in Baltimore-area properties accused of defrauding tenants. U.S. District Judge James Bredar ruled that Westminster Management, Kushner Companies’ real estate management arm, must file an unsealed document naming its mystery partners by Feb. 9. The ruling is a minor victory for the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit that accuses Kushner Companies and Westminster Management of charging tenants illegal fees and then bullying them into paying with threats of eviction. The company had sought to keep its investors secret in the case, though several media outlets challenged the move. In issuing his ruling Friday, Bredar said the “presence of the Kushner (and therefore Trump) families” in the case gives the public the right to know the identifies of the partners involved in the apartment complexes. While Kushner himself is not named in the lawsuit, he served as chief executive officer of Kushner Companies before joining the Trump administration.