The federal government is helping a New Jersey town develop a ferry service to Jared Kushner's resort


Something fishy is happening on the Jersey Shore.
The Federal Transit Administration has been helping a New Jersey beachfront town with its plans to develop a ferry service and build a pier that would shuttle passengers between New York City and Long Branch, where White House adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner co-owns a resort. The project would boost the value of Kushner's beachfront condos by as much as 50 percent, a local business administrator told The Associated Press. The 269 units currently sell for as much as $1.9 million each.
The FTA gave Long Branch $3.34 million to rebuild the pier back in 2008, but it wasn't enough to complete the project. City officials reportedly kept the Kushner family, which has developed property in Long Branch for decades, in the loop about plans to continue to fund the pier. City officials have simultaneously been in talks with the feds about how to score more federal funding and get this potentially profitable project finished.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
All of this is raising eyebrows over whether the federal government is inappropriately pushing a project that would directly benefit the president's family.
Kushner resigned as CEO of Kushner Cos., his family's company, when he joined the White House, but is still the owner of various real estate holdings. Kushner Cos. insists there's nothing fishy about the Long Branch project, saying in a statement that "to suggest that we have done anything unethical is patently false and appears to be drummed up again for political gain."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Trump arms National Guard in DC, threatens other cities
speed read His next targets are Chicago, New York and Baltimore