Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Steve Witkoff maintains financial partnership with Ukraine-sanctioned billionaire while serving as Trump's Ukraine peace negotiator — Steve Witkoff, appointed by Trump as special envoy for peace missions to negotiate between Russia and Ukraine, has retained an active financial partnership with billionaire Len Blavatnik, who has been sanctioned by Ukraine. Witkoff and Blavatnik co-develop One High Line, a luxury residential project in New York City valued at $50 million or more. The partnership creates a potential conflict of interest given Witkoff's role as mediator in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
• Witkoff's divestiture from real estate company incomplete despite disclosure claims — Witkoff's federal disclosure form states he "sold an interest in his eponymous real estate management company for $120 million" as part of divestiture planning. However, he continues to own a portion of the Witkoff Group valued at more than $50 million. The form does not disclose the buyer of the sold stake, which could be a family member such as his son Alex Witkoff, who currently runs the company. This arrangement may not adequately address conflict-of-interest concerns.
• Witkoff's federal ethics disclosure form remains unsigned despite 60-day deadline — Witkoff signed his federal disclosure form (Form 278e) on August 13, 2025, but the version posted to the White House website remains unsigned by a federal ethics official. Senators Chris Murphy and Elizabeth Warren noted on November 17 that no agency ethics official signed the form despite the 60-day deadline passing in October 2025. The Senators stated the form "appears to have inaccurate or incomplete information," raising concerns about compliance with conflict-of-interest provisions.
• Witkoff negotiated peace plan with head of Russian sovereign wealth fund despite U.S. sanctions — Witkoff negotiated the Ukraine peace plan not with a Russian foreign affairs official but with Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund (RDIF). Dmitriev was sanctioned by the United States in 2022 and banned from the country. Despite the sanctions, Witkoff requested Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent allow Dmitriev to travel to Washington in April 2025; Bessent approved the request. Witkoff and Dmitriev have since met multiple times in person and by phone, including in Miami last month to finalize the Trump plan.
• Kushner accepted billions in foreign government investments while conducting U.S. foreign policy — Since 2021, Kushner has raised at least $4.8 billion for his private equity firm Affinity Partners, with nearly 99% from foreign sources. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund invested $2 billion and pays Kushner $25 million annually (1.25% of the investment). Qatar and the UAE also pay annual fees up to 2%. As of September 2024, Affinity Partners had collected $157 million in fees, primarily from Middle Eastern governments. Kushner continues collecting these payments while serving in a top foreign policy role, creating a direct conflict between his fiduciary duty to foreign governments and his role negotiating with Russia on Ukraine.
• Saudi Crown Prince overruled investment committee to fund Kushner's firm — The Public Investment Fund's investment committee recommended rejecting Kushner's Affinity Partners proposal, citing "the inexperience of the Affinity Fund management" and "excessive" fees. However, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who heads PIF's Board of Directors and with whom Kushner had developed a close relationship, overruled the committee's recommendation and approved the $2 billion investment. This non-standard approval process for a fledgling private equity firm suggests the investment was motivated by political rather than financial considerations.
• Saudi-backed peace plan included provision benefiting Saudi agricultural interests in Ukraine — The 28-point peace plan drafted with Kushner's assistance includes a provision requiring Russia not to prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper River for commercial activities and to permit free transport of grain across the Black Sea. This provision directly fulfills a key Saudi policy objective: the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (a Public Investment Fund subsidiary) owns a major stake in MHP, one of Ukraine's largest agricultural conglomerates, and the Continental Farmers Group, which cultivates nearly 480,000 acres in Western Ukraine, is owned by PIF. When parties met in Saudi Arabia in March 2025, Black Sea shipping security was a central negotiating topic.