Jared Kushner has denied allegations in a forthcoming book that Dutch intelligence monitored his iPhone and observed him accessing a United Arab Emirates bank account during Donald Trump's first presidency.
The claims appear in Matthew Cole's Princes and Thieves. Vanity Fair published an excerpt on 22 October 2026. Kushner was a senior White House adviser during the period described.
'The allegations made by this author are completely insane and never happened,' Kushner said in a response on X reproduced by Mediaite.
The excerpt also includes his lawyer's denial that Kushner had any knowledge of or connection to the alleged UAE account.
Cole Alleges Dutch Intelligence Monitored Kushner's Screen
Cole writes that the Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service, known as MIVD, identified a Russian military intelligence operative travelling to Britain in late 2017.
According to his account, Dutch officers secured the operative's cooperation after presenting him with a choice between working with them and facing arrest by British authorities. Cole alleges that the operative then gave them access to a Russian intelligence server in Rostov.
Dutch investigators found screenshots from Kushner's iPhone on that server, Cole writes. He says Dutch specialists examined how the Russians had gained access and identified a vulnerability in Kushner's iPhone X by early 2018.
The capability Cole describes allowed investigators to capture images of the screen while Kushner used the phone. His account distinguishes this from broader access to a device's microphone, camera and files. These details form part of his disputed surveillance narrative.
UAE Account Allegation Is Disputed
Cole alleges that the screen monitoring showed Kushner logging into a UAE bank account. He describes Kushner as a signatory to an account owned and managed by an Emirati charity.
Cole does not describe Kushner as the account's legal owner. His allegation concerns access and signing authority, rather than ownership of the account or its funds.
The allegations involve at least $2 billion (£1.49 billion) allegedly placed in two bank accounts accessible to Kushner by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, according to Cole.
The report alleges that the accounts were linked to diplomatic objectives and potential personal benefits for Kushner. He has denied the allegations, and the claims have not been independently established.
Kushner's lawyer denied that his client had any knowledge of or connection to the charity or a UAE bank account. The excerpt also records counsel's position that Kushner complied with legal requirements when dealing with foreign governments.
The published excerpt describes alleged surveillance images and financial transfers but does not reproduce the screenshots or bank statements. Its narrative should therefore be distinguished from publicly available documentary proof of the alleged access.
Kushner Challenges the Evidence
In his response on 22 October, Kushner said the claims had already been denied on the record. He accused Cole of failing to provide verifiable supporting details, including bank statements, transfer records, account numbers and transaction dates.
Kushner also cited the scrutiny he faced during Trump's first administration. He said he had cooperated with congressional and special counsel investigations and maintained that the events described by Cole had never happened.
Separately, the excerpt records his counsel's broader position that Kushner's dealings with foreign leaders were approved by the president and served US interests. That statement accompanies, rather than replaces, the denial of any connection to the alleged UAE account.
His lawyer also denied that Kushner violated laws while serving in the White House. Whether the surveillance and account access described by Cole occurred remains disputed.
