New York regulator asks Deutsche, other banks about Kushner loans: source
By Karen Freifeld
(Reuters) - New York's state banking regulator asked Deutsche Bank AG and two other lenders for information on their relationships with U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his family's real estate company, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) made the requests to Deutsche Bank, Signature Bank and New York Community Bank for information on loans and other financial arrangements including lines of credit and loan guarantees a week ago, the person said.
The regulator also asked for information related to other family members, the person said.
Christine Taylor, a spokeswoman for Kushner Cos, said the company had not received a copy of any letter from the regulator. She described Kushner Cos as a "multibillion enterprise that is extremely financially strong.
"Prior to our CEO voluntarily resigning to serve our country, we never had any type of inquiries," Taylor said in an email. "These types of inquiries appear to be harassment solely for political reasons."
Jared Kushner's representatives did not respond to a request for comment. According to government financial disclosures from last year, he has lines of credit at the three banks, among others.
The New York regulator declined comment, as did Deutsche Bank.
Signature, a New York state-chartered bank, said in an email that, with the permission of its client, it could state that "the Kushner Family and Kushner Co have been clients since 2010." Signature said that, by law, it cannot disclose regulatory or legal inquiries.
New York Community Bank, another New York state-chartered bank, had no immediate comment.
As New York's bank regulator, DFS supervises the New York branch of Deutsche Bank, Germany's flagship lender, along with the two state-chartered lenders.
If DFS finds the loans somehow violate banking law, it could fine the banks or take other corrective action with regard to their business practices, said New York attorney Daniel Alter, former general counsel at DFS.
If the regulator finds potential criminal activity by either the borrowers or the banks, it could also refer the matter to prosecutors for further investigation, Alter said.
Last year Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, resigned from Kushner Cos and sold his stake to a family trust as part of an effort to avoid conflicts of interests in his White House role. The private real estate company owns or partially owns buildings in New York and New Jersey.
Kushner, who had a broad portfolio in the White House, including leading Middle East peace negotiations and an effort to modernize and reduce the size of some government programs, lost his interim top-secret security clearance, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Bill Rigby and Grant McCool)
