Jared Kushner’s family business is being investigated for ‘potentially illegal’ activity in New York

A New York City oversight board is investigating a company formerly run by Jared Kushner — President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser — for potential “illegal activity” related to work permits for 13 buildings it controls.

The company, Kushner Companies, is being investigated by the New York City Department of Buildings for “false filing” on applications for construction permits in Brooklyn and Manhattan, according to filings online.

The investigation, first reported by the Associated Press, comes alongside accusations from housing groups that say the company has failed to disclose the existence of affordable housing in their buildings on previous applications, which has allowed the company to skirt stricter construction oversights, and potentially harass tenants.

The housing group, Housing Rights Initiative, accused the company this week of having falsified more than 80 work permits involving 34 buildings in New York.

The group also accused the company of using construction as a tactic to push residents out of units. That, according to the group, is a common tactic for landlords in the city, who try to push tenants who enjoy affordable housing rates out of the buildings, reducing affordable housing options in the city.

Kushner Companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent on the allegations and accusations. The group said earlier this week that it values its tenants, and that it takes its legal and ethical responsibilities seriously, and would not falsify formal filings.

The company, which Mr Kushner has publicly distanced himself from since joining the White House, has been a subject of scrutiny during the administration of President Donald Trump.

That’s because the massive company has business interests that reach across the globe, and because of debts the company holds that could potentially be alleviated by foreign loans and financing.

Ethics experts have expressed concern that that could pose a potential conflict of interest for Mr Kushner.

Mr Kushner is reportedly not involved with the day to day operations of his family company, however, and his representatives have asserted in the past that he honours ethics agreements created to ensure that he does not have a conflict of interest.