Jared Kushner's White House Role Brings 'Wellspring' of Troubles for Family Business

In an alternate universe, Jared Kushner's ascension to the role of special adviser to the president of the United States—who also happens to be his father-in-law—might have brought redemption to his family name and company. That name was tarnished more than a decade ago when Jared's father Charles served two years in prison for hiring a prostitute to entrap his brother-in-law, who he thought was ratting him out to federal investigators.

But it hasn't been quite so simple. 

In a front-page story Monday, New York Times investigative reporter Sharon LaFraniere detailed the string of investigative probes into the Kushner Companies and the investors who've run scared, since Jared Kushner stepped into the hot seat.

LaFraniere spoke with All Things Considered host Jami Floyd.

"Having Jared Kushner in the White House at the pinnacle of power is kind of redemption," she said. "But instead of this absolution, what they've gotten is one investigation after another...and every single deal that they try to execute, they have to do it under a microscope."