NextSharkNextShark.com

U.S. Spies Warned Jared Kushner That Wendi Deng Murdoch Might Be a Spy for China

U.S. Spies Warned Jared Kushner That Wendi Deng Murdoch Might Be a Spy for China

Jared Kushner received a warning from U.S. counterintelligence officials last year over his friendship with businesswoman Wendi Deng Murdoch.

January 16, 2018
SHARE
Jared Kushner received a warning from U.S. counterintelligence officials last year that his friendship with Chinese-American businesswoman Wendi Deng Murdoch could be used by the Chinese government to its advantage.
Citing officials privy to the issue, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that there were concerns that Murdoch, a U.S. citizen and ex-wife of News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch, could seek to push the interests of the Chinese government. Incidentally, News Corp. owns the Wall Street Journal.
wendi deng murdoch
One particular concern was a $100 million China-funded garden project at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., which has reportedly been declared a national security risk due to a tall tower that can potentially be used for surveillance.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

According to the report, the officials noted that such warnings are not particularly unusual. Kushner, the senior advisor to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, was given the warning to make sure that he is advised of people who may potentially be promoting interests against the U.S.
A representative for Murdoch said that she “has no knowledge of any FBI concerns or other intelligence agency concerns relating to her or her associations.” She also denied any knowledge of such garden projects funded by the Chinese government.
Asked about Deng during a briefing on Tuesday, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said that “certain people in the US should stop creating problems when none exists.”
Kushner and Ivanka Trump confirmed the interaction with the officials via a spokesperson, describing it as a “routine senior staff security briefing.” The statement pointed out that none of the people mentioned have been accused of any wrongdoing.
It was not reported why Murdoch was apparently singled out in their warning to Kushner or why she was suspected of working for the Chinese government in the first place. It is also worth noting that there have been a number of Chinese Americans in the past who have been falsely accused of working for China.
Right Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons / David Shankbone (CC BY 3.0)
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Ryan General

      Ryan General is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.