Dutch Intelligence Allegedly Hacked Jared Kushner's Phone, Claims New Book

The Netherlands' Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) is alleged to have gained access to Jared Kushner's mobile phone, according to a new book by investigative journalist Matthew Cole. The book, which includes an excerpt published by Vanity Fair, claims that Dutch intelligence began monitoring Kushner's phone in 2018 with the help of a Russian defector who previously worked for Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.

Cole's account suggests that Dutch intelligence discovered Kushner was accessing a bank account in the United Arab Emirates. The source cited in the book indicated that the account contained hundreds of millions of dollars originating from a bank in Azerbaijan. More troubling, the journalist alleges that Kushner transferred significant sums from this Dubai account to various individuals, including a warlord, a mercenary, and a former hitman. These funds were reportedly provided by the Saudi and Emirati royal families to further political and diplomatic goals in the Middle East.

In late spring 2020, Cole was informed by a reliable source that the Dutch government had hacked into Kushner's phone while he accessed the Dubai bank account. The source noted the unusual nature of the funds, which raised questions about their origin and purpose. Cole recounts a subsequent conversation with another acquaintance regarding the UAE government's use of mercenaries, which led to further inquiries about Kushner's financial dealings.

The MIVD allegedly accessed Kushner's phone through a former GRU operative who defected after being apprehended during an espionage mission in the UK. The Dutch intelligence agency reportedly offered the operative a choice: cooperate as an informant or face imprisonment. The defector's cooperation provided the MIVD with access to sensitive GRU systems, which ultimately led to the discovery of Kushner's phone data stored on a server in Russia.

Details of Surveillance Remain Unclear

The extent of the MIVD's access to Kushner's phone remains unclear, as the agency has not disclosed operational details or the duration of their surveillance. When approached for comment, the MIVD declined to discuss its methods or the intelligence it possessed.

Approved for Dissemination

Kushner has categorically denied the allegations, asserting that the claims are baseless and lack supporting evidence. In a post on social media, he described the assertions as absurd and emphasized that no verifiable documentation, such as bank statements or transaction records, has been provided to substantiate the serious accusations made against him. He pointed out that during the period in question, he was under intense scrutiny from various investigations, which did not reveal any of the alleged activities.

The claims made in Cole's book remain unverified and are based on the accounts of unnamed sources. The lack of independently corroborated evidence raises questions about the validity of the allegations and the motivations behind them. As the story unfolds, the implications of these claims could have significant repercussions for those involved in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.