Sessions ‘Hate, Hate, Hates’ Kushner’s Prison Reform Plan, Pardon Push

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By Juliana Kaplan June 14, 2018

Presidential advisor/son-in-law Jared Kushner’s continued push for prison reform is angering Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Vanity Fair reported Thursday.

“He hate, hate, hates it,” a source close to Sessions told Vanity Fair about the attorney general’s view of Kushner’s partnership with CNN commentator and prison reform advocate Van Jones. Some sources said that Trump may enjoy Sessions’ outrage, hoping that it would prompt him to quit.

Kushner has made prison reform a signature issue, recently throwing much of his weight behind the cause. In doing so, he’s forged alliances with unlikely characters like Jones and Kim Kardashian West.

“Jared and I have 99 problems but prison ain’t one,” Jones told Vanity Fair. “I’ve found him to be effective, straightforward, and dogged.”

Kushner’s work with Kardashian West led to Trump pardoning convicted drug deal Alice Johnson, which gave Trump begrudgingly positive press.

Now Kushner may be preparing for an even larger pardon push, which Trump may be inclined to approve.

Kardashian West reportedly gave Kushner a list of others to pardon, which included several hip-hop artists.

“They’re going to be pardoning a lot of people—pardons that even Obama wouldn’t do,” a source told Vanity Fair.

Juliana Kaplan is a news intern at The Forward. Email her at kaplan@forward.com or follow her on Twitter, @julianamkaplan

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