Ken Kurson and Jared Kushner attend The New York Observer Celebrates Robert Kurson’s New Book PIRATE HUNTERS at The Rusty Knot on June 15, 2015 in New York City.
J. Grassi | Patrick McMullan | Getty Images
The Manhattan district attorney on Wednesday charged Ken Kurson, a friend and former associate of Jared Kushner, with crimes related to cyberstalking months after he received a pardon from then-President Donald Trump.
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. charged Kurson, 52, with eavesdropping and criminal trespass, alleging he illegally accessed his then-wife’s communications in 2015 and 2016 while working as editor-in-chief of Observer Media Group.
Federal prosecutors hit Kurson with similar charges last year before Trump pardoned him in January on his way out of the White House. Kushner is Trump’s son-in-law and served as a senior advisor in the White House.
Presidential pardons do not apply to state or local charges.
“We will not accept presidential pardons as get-out-of-jail-free cards for the well-connected in New York,” Vance said in a statement.
Marc Mukasey, who represented Kurson in the federal case, did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
Kurson ran The New York Observer while Kushner owned the newspaper.
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
