Jim Jordan Rushes to Defend Jared Kushner as Saudi Ties Probed

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan rushed to defend former Donald Trump advisor Jared Kushner when his ties were probed during a House Oversight Committee on Thursday.

House Republicans gave their review of gathered evidence regarding foreign business ventures by President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, 53, which they say shows that Joe Biden himself and family members were involved in improper business dealings and alleged influence peddling while Joe Biden served as vice president to Barack Obama between 2009 and 2017.

Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, announced an impeachment inquiry into President Biden on September 12. The inquiry is being conducted by the House's Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees, of which Jordan is the chair.

During the initial hearing, Democrats argued that a deal procured by Jared Kushner, son-in-law and former senior advisor to Trump, with Saudi Arabian officials merits more investigation than Biden. Six months after Trump's departure from the White House, Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from the Saudi Crown Prince despite objections from the fund's screening panel about the merits of the deal. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman overruled the panel. The investment was made in his business Affinity, a private equity firm.

"We also know that just months after Jared left the White House, the Saudi royal family gave him $2 billion—with a B—into the Kushner hedge fund," Rep. Mike Garcia, a Democrat from California, said. "This is a man who was put at the head of Middle East policy in the White House."

Democrats argued this was worse because Kushner worked in government, while Hunter Biden has never held a position in the White House. Garcia said: "We also know that Hunter Biden never held any sort of public office, and there is no evidence that he ever influenced any kind of policy in the White House."

But later Jordan defended Kushner: "I would just add to the gentleman's remarks that Jared Kushner was a key player in the historic Abraham Accords!"

The Abraham Accords are a bilateral agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. The name of the accords was given in reference to the common ancestor of the Jews and the Arabs, the biblical Abraham. The U.S. Department of State says the accords "recognize the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace in the Middle East and around the world based on mutual understanding and coexistence, as well as respect for human dignity and freedom, including religious freedom."

The Republican party has stated that Kushner's prior business experience and expertise justify his role, contrasting with Hunter Biden who lacked any relevant qualifications for his position on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

The GOP intends to go ahead with impeachment hearings despite the looming U.S. government shutdown, which is on course to happen at midnight on October 1 with the start of the new fiscal year. House Oversight Chairman James Comer said the probable shutdown will not impact his staff and that he plans to continue issuing subpoenas.

Newsweek has contacted the Republican Party for comment.