Loans to Kushner Cos being probed

The White House is investigating whether two loans totalling more than $500 million to the family real estate business of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner violated any criminal laws or regulations, according to the Office of Government Ethics.

Democratic lawmakers asked the White House and Kushner Cos for documents after The New York Times last month reported on the loans extended in 2017 by two firms — Citigroup Inc and Apollo Global Management.

In a letter dated March 22 to Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, David Apol, acting director of the Office of Government Ethics, said, “I have discussed this matter with the White House Counsel’s Office in order to ensure that they have begun the process of ascertaining the facts necessary to determine whether any law or regulation has been violated.”

“During that discussion, the White House informed me that they had already begun this process,” he added.