(José Niño, Headline USA) Secret bank accounts, Gulf rulers, and private fortunes sit at the center of a contested new account of Jared Kushner’s diplomacy. Reviewing Matthew Cole’s “Princes and Thieves” for the New York Times, Fintan O’Toole argues that its allegations warrant congressional investigation, while emphasizing that the account remains incomplete and Kushner disputes it.
Cole alleges that Kushner worked with United Arab Emirates leader Mohammed bin Zayed to redirect American Middle East policy while gaining access to accounts containing roughly $2 billion. O’Toole compares the potential implications, if substantiated, with the Iran contra scandal, when Reagan administration officials secretly supported Nicaraguan insurgents despite congressional restrictions. The comparison represents O’Toole’s assessment, not an established finding of wrongdoing.
The book’s most consequential claims concern a reported Dutch intelligence discovery in 2017. According to O’Toole’s review, Cole says investigators examining Russian access to Kushner’s phone uncovered his access to an Emirati account containing $750 million, allegedly originating with Emirati and Saudi sources and routed through Azerbaijan. “It is unclear if [Donald] Trump ever approved or even knew about the arrangement,” Cole writes.
Holy shit.
Dutch intelligence has uncovered Jared Kushner’s role as a Mossad agent. pic.twitter.com/gQJ1JHcGJW
— The White Rabbit (@TheWyteRabbit1) October 25, 2026
Cole further alleges that Mohammed bin Zayed arranged another account containing approximately $1 billion through Israel’s central bank. Whether Kushner used those funds remains “unclear,” the book acknowledges, while asserting that “its allocation was for Kushner’s personal benefit.” These are disputed allegations, not verified evidence that Kushner received or spent the money.
O’Toole places those accusations within a broader account of Emirati efforts to influence Washington through intermediaries, including George Nader, Elliott Broidy, and Thomas Barrack. Separate Associated Press reporting established Nader’s involvement in meetings connecting Emirati officials with Trump associates, but does not independently substantiate Cole’s bank account claims.
The review also discusses the Kushner family’s troubled Manhattan property investment and Qatar’s indirect financial connection to its rescue, raising questions about the overlap between diplomacy and business. Such connections do not, by themselves, establish an unlawful exchange.
Cole himself concedes that “much remains unknown about Kushner’s relationships and agreements with the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and, especially, the United Arab Emirates.” For O’Toole, that uncertainty strengthens the case for investigation rather than settling the accusations.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
