Media sues for names of Kushner real estate investors

Several media outlets filed a motion in federal court Friday to obtain the identities of investors in various Kushner Cos. apartment buildings in Maryland.

The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, ProPublica and WMAR-TV argued in the brief that the media has a right to know the names of the investors, saying they have a “presumptive right” to view court documents. 

The outlets also argued that Kushner Cos. has not offered a “compelling government interest,” which is needed to prohibit the media from having access. 

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Kushner Cos. has cited privacy rights, saying the media’s “politically motivated” coverage of the case puts the privacy of those in the company at risk, according to The Associated Press.

President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner served as CEO of the real estate firm before assuming his White House post in January. 

The company has since come under increased media and legal scrutiny. 

Reports surfaced in October that Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh was probing an affiliate of the business after The New York Time and ProPublica reported earlier this year that there was “poor upkeep” inside properties. 

The Baltimore Sun in August reported on aggressive debt collecting tactics used by the company, including civil arrests of tenants who owed money to the company. 

The company also found itself in hot water when Nicole Meyer, a principal at the company and Kushner’s sister, mentioned her brother’s service in the Trump administration during a pitch to investors in Beijing.