Original correspondence details
Alejandro Brito
Email: abrito@britopllc.com
Phone: (305) 614.4071
Address: 2121 Ponce de Leon. Suite 650
Coral Gables, FL 33134
www.britopllc.com
August 10, 2026
Via Email
John M. Browning, Esq.
Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP
1251 Avenue of the Americas
42nd Floor
New York, NY 10020-1104
jackbrowning@dwt.com
Kathryn K. Sudol, Esq.
Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
KKR & Co., Inc.
30 Hudson Yards
Suite 7500
New York, NY 10001
katie.sudol@kkr.com
Re: Response to Mr. Cole’s Allegations
Dear Mr. Browning and Ms. Sudol:
As stated in my July 30, 2026, letter (the “July 30 Letter”), the allegations about my client are filled with false and defamatory accusations.1
In the interest of helping you understand just how unfounded Mr. Cole’s claims are, I have provided point-by-point responses on behalf of Mr. Kushner to Mr. Cole’s factual allegations and questions in the Correspondences. As you will see, the allegations are incredible and false, and if there were to be any credible evidence it should be easy to investigate and confirm. If you still wish to pursue this reporting, we expect that Mr. Cole will provide evidence of his claims to Mr. Kushner—notably Mr. Cole has not indicated any source of information for his unbelievable claims—before proceeding with any publication so that we can more fully respond, if necessary, to the premises of his claims. If he is unable to substantiate these claims, we demand that he acknowledge his mistakes and cease any and all publication or dissemination of these false, malicious and defamatory claims.
I am sending the responses also so that you, as the Publishers, can conduct the appropriate fact checking of the claims before proceeding with publication. You have stated that Simon and Schuster conducted a full legal review of Mr. Cole’s intended publication and your letter dated the August 3, 2026, states that Simon & Schuster “have full confidence in the book.” However, you have not acknowledged any factual review of his claims since Mr. Kushner put you on notice of the serious and false nature of the allegations, and based on our knowledge of the facts, it is almost impossible to believe that the book has undergone any factual review. As noted in my July 30 Letter, we expect that the Publishers will engage in a full fact checking in cooperation with Mr. Kushner before proceeding to print any of the claims about him.
Mr. Kushner is a successful businessman who runs an international investment firm, and he prizes his reputation for honest business dealings and relies on that reputation to conduct business throughout the world. Mr. Cole’s allegations are false, defamatory and damaging and, if published, can be reasonably expected to cause lasting harm to Mr. Kushner and his business. Should you choose to proceed with publishing the false and defamatory claims, Mr. Kushner is prepared to pursue any and all of his legal and equitable rights and remedies, including monetary damages and attorneys’ fees.
All claims are expressly reserved and none are waived.
Very truly yours,
ALEJANDRO BRITO
A. The May 19 Letter
Below are responses to the factual assertions and questions in the May 19 Letter.
Assertion 1:
“My book covers some of your agreements and cooperation with MBZ, MBS, Tamim Al Thani, and Netanyahu during your time in the White House.”
Response 1:
It was an honor for Mr. Kushner to serve the President of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Mr. Kushner, who has been one of the most scrutinized people on the planet, always represented and sought the interests of the United States and the President of the United States and did not make any agreements or arrangements with leaders or officials in foreign countries that were not agreed by the President of the United States and in the best interest of the United States. Examples of agreements for which he led the negotiations of during that period include the Abraham Accords, the Israel-Morocco Normalization agreement, and the Gulf Cooperation Council dispute resolution known as the Alula Agreement. These were the official agreements in which Mr. Kushner led the negotiations, and all agreements he negotiated were authorized and disclosed.
Assertion 2:
The book described includes your access to multiple bank accounts—including but not limited to—a FAB account managed by Dherar Al Falasi /Watani and at least one Israeli account in Israel Central . . . .
Response 2:
Mr. Kushner has no knowledge of, or involvement with, any such accounts. Any allegation that Mr. Kushner knew of, had access to, had authorizations for or engaged in or directed any conduct related to any government-funded or government-linked bank account is totally false and defamatory—Mr. Cole is accusing him of violating numerous federal laws and the U.S. Constitution. Any claims about Mr. Kushner’s access to “multiple bank accounts,” including but not limited to a bank account in Cyprus, a UAE bank account, in Abu Dhabi or an account with the Israeli Central Bank, are false. Repeat: There are no accounts and never were. Just as false are any claims that Mr. Kushner had any communications with foreign leaders about any bank accounts, or that he communicated through any third parties or intermediaries about any bank accounts. Furthermore, Mr. Kushner does not know anyone named Dherar Al Falasi or what a Watani account is. This should be an easy claim for you to fact check and we are certain that if you conduct even the most basic review of whatever sources you have on these claims you will find there is no evidence of Mr. Kushner’s knowledge of or involvement with any such bank accounts, as it never occurred.
Assertion 3:
The book described includes . . . your knowledge and arrangement to receive a bailout of 666 Fifth Ave by the Qatari government in exchange for blocking any further punitive measures by UAE, KSA et al during their blockade . . . .
Response 3:
During Mr. Kushner’s time in government, he never communicated with any member, affiliate, agent, employee, associate, or representative of the Qatari government regarding the divestment of his interests in the real property commonly known as 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019, nor was he involved in, nor does he have any knowledge of, any alleged quid pro quo with the Qatari government. The referenced transaction occurred after Mr. Kushner had divested his interest in 666 Fifth Avenue and took place without his knowledge or involvement. Furthermore, the transaction was led by Brookfield, one of the largest and most respected asset managers in the world, from a fund in which Qatar is a passive investor. There has been no evidence that this investment was directed by Qatar or that it was not done for purely commercial purposes by Brookfield. Any suggestion of Mr. Kushner’s involvement in the transaction or of a quid pro quo with the Qatari government is false and defamatory.
Assertion 4:
The book described includes . . . your involvement in getting President Trump’s support of Khalifa Haftar’s April 2019 attempted overthrow of Libya’s GNA . . . .
Response 4:
Mr. Kushner was not involved in Libya policies and did not facilitate any actions or communications between President Trump and Mr. Khalifa Haftar.
Assertion 5:
The book described includes . . . your financial relationship with Erik Prince, among others.
Response 5:
Mr. Kushner does not and did not have any relationship with Erik Prince, much less a financial relationship. Mr. Kushner has no personal knowledge or involvement in any of Mr. Prince’s activities or involvement with any government, other than Mr. Kushner met him one time during the 2016 presidential transition and never interacted with him after that.
Below are responses to the Questions in the May 19 Letter.
Response 6:
Mr. Kushner does not know if his iPhone was hacked or monitored while serving in the White House; you should ask the White House about that. Mr. Kushner received regular counterintelligence briefings during his time in government and was never informed of this. At the same time, out of an abundance of caution, he always operated as if someone was listening in on his non-secure calls.
2. Did President Trump authorize your signatory access to Watani accounts in the UAE?
Response 7:
See Response 2. Because the claims about the accounts that Mr. Kushner allegedly had access to are false, any questions premised on his disclosures to or authorization from the U.S. Government, the President of the United States, or any other third party about any such accounts are also meritless.
3. Did he authorize your access/ability to receive MBZ’s money for you in the Israeli central bank?
Response 8:
See Response 7. Again, this is a crazy, false and defamatory accusation, and we would urge you to check your sources.
4. To whom within the US government did you disclose your access to these foreign accounts?
Response 9:
See Response 7.
Response 10:
See Response 2.
6. Did you ever discuss 666 financing with the Qatari government prior to 2018?
Response 11:
See Response 3.
Response 12:
See Response 3. Doha did not pay for 666 Fifth Avenue. Again, Brookfield made a commercial investment in 666 Fifth Avenue via a fund in which Qatar was an investor, and Mr. Kushner was not aware of this investment at the time and is aware of no evidence that Qatar impacted the investment decision. Any suggestion of his involvement in the transaction or any allegation of quid pro quo with the Qatari government is false and defamatory. This would be like alleging that one of KKR’s investors is directing KKR to force Simon & Schuster to write a good or bad book. It is a lazy, strained accusation bereft of any factual support.
B. The May 28 Letter
Below are responses to the questions in the May 28 Letter.
Response 13:
See Response 2. Again, Mr. Kushner has no idea what account you are talking about—no such account ever existed—and the premise of this question is totally unfounded.
Response 14:
See Response 2. Again, Mr. Kushner has no idea what account you are talking about—and the premise of this question is totally unfounded.
3. Whose first proposed giving you access to the UAE bank accounts managed by Dherar Al Falasi?
Response 15:
See Response 2.
4. Did you sign bank documents for the UAE account(s) Mr. Al Falasi managed?
Response 16:
See Response 2.
Response 17:
See Response 7.
Response 18:
See Response 7.
Response 19:
Mr. Kushner has no knowledge of the charity or the transactions that Mr. Cole is referencing.
8. Who in the Trump Administration knew of your access to the UAE bank accounts?
Response 20:
See Response 7.
Response 21:
See Response 7. Because Mr. Kushner never had any knowledge of or involvement with such an account, there was no reason to communicate with the government, or anyone else for that matter, regarding the supposed accounts. The entire premise of your question—and possibly your book—is totally unfounded. Moreover, the implication that Mr. Kushner was somehow a foreign agent who needed to register with the U.S. Department of Justice—which he is not and never did—is false and defamatory.
10. How many bank accounts, in total, were you given access to?
Response 22:
None. See Response 2.
Response 23:
None. See Response 2.
Response 24:
No. See Response 2.
13. Who first proposed that the UAE money made available to you also be moved and held in Israel?
Response 25:
No one ever proposed this to Mr. Kushner. See Response 2.
Response 26:
Your reporting is incorrect. No such funds were ever made available. See Response 2.
Response 27:
Your reporting is incorrect. Mr. Kushner never had any discussions or knowledge of such a bank account—if it even existed. See Response 2.
Response 28:
No. See Response 2.
Response 29:
There was no arrangement. See Response 7.
18. Please describe your relationship and work with Tally Zingher.
Response 30:
Mr. Kushner does not know and has no relationship with Tally Zingher.
Response 31:
See Response 7.
Response 32:
See Response 7.
Response 33:
Your reporting is incorrect. See Responses 2 and 7. Mr. Kushner had no financial relationships with any foreign countries or leaders. His complete financial disclosures are publicly available in his OGE Form 278e filings during this period.
Response 34:
Yes. Mr. Kushner has consistently complied with all applicable laws and requirements when dealing with foreign governments and in any dealings on behalf of the U.S. Government.
23. Please describe your relationship with Erik Prince regarding the UAE.
Response 35:
See Response 5.
Response 36:
See Responses 2 and 5. The premises of the underling assertions are false, and the question is unfounded.
Response 38:
See Response 5.
Response 39:
See Response 5.
Response 40:
Mr. Kushner is not aware of such a bank account and has never sent any money to Mr. Prince. See Responses 2 and 5.
Response 41:
Mr. Kushner is not aware of this transfer and if any such transfer occurred, it has nothing to do with him. See Responses 2 and 4.
Response 42:
Mr. Kushner does not and did not have any relationship with Felipe Vidal, much less a financial relationship. Mr. Kushner does not know him and did not interact with him or have any involvement with him.
31. What was your understanding of Felipe Vidal’s role in the UAE bank account you had access to?
32. What was your role in the transfer of at least $80M from the UAE account to Mr. Vidal in 2019?
Response 45:
See Response 42.
Response 46:
See Response 42.
35. Were you aware that Mr. Vidal was a self-described hitman?
Response 47:
See Response 42.
Response 49:
That is not something Mr. Kushner has knowledge of.
Response 50:
No.
Response 51:
See Responses 4 and 5. Mr. Kushner was not involved in any respect with any attempted overthrow of Libya’s Government of National Accord.
40. Did President Trump authorize you, Mr. Prince, or any other U.S. citizen in the Libya effort?
Response 53:
See Response 4 and 51. Mr. Kushner was never a conduit to Mr. Haftar, including any communications on behalf of the President of the United States.
Response 54:
Your reporting is incorrect. See Response 3.
43. Please describe your role in President Trump’s firing of Secretary Tillerson.
Response 55:
It was solely the decision of President Trump to remove Secretary Tillerson from his role.
Response 57:
Your reporting is incorrect. There was no transfer or request for transfer. See Response 2.
Response 58:
Your reporting is incorrect. There was no transfer or request for transfer. See Response 2.
Response 59:
See Responses 3 and 34. No. Mr. Kushner never suggested or conditioned any action on behalf of the U.S. Government on receiving any benefit to himself, and never asked, implied or sought such a benefit.
Response 60:
Mr. Kushner likely attended the meeting.
Response 61:
See Response 3. Again, Mr. Kushner was divested from 666 Fifth Avenue and had no knowledge of the proposed transaction and did not do anything to influence it.
Response 62:
See Response 34. No. That is unfair, inaccurate, and totally false—Mr. Cole is accusing Mr. Kushner of violating federal laws and the U.S. Constitution without any evidence. We hope by this point you are seeing the ridiculousness of this line of questioning.
Response 63:
Mr. Kushner never had any such discussions, and he is unaware of any such interference.
Response 64:
See Response 63. Mr. Kushner is not aware of this and has no comment on this.
Response 65:
Your reporting is incorrect. Mr. Kushner was not aware of or involved in any efforts or discussions on this matter. The premise of this question—that Mr. Kushner supported the efforts of these foreign leaders to replace another foreign leader—is totally false.
Response 66:
The premise of this question is false. Mr. Kushner did not speak to Netanyahu during the negotiations in Geneva. See Response 34. Mr. Kushner has conducted all of his volunteer activities in support of the President’s requests consistent with the applicable laws and requirements and has worked at all times alongside and in support of the U.S. Government employees and representatives leading the peace negotiations.
55. Was he aware of your communications with Netanyahu at the time?
Response 67:
See Response 66.
Response 68:
See Response 66.
Response 69:
See Response 66. Mr. Kushner did not speak to Netanyahu during the negotiations in Islamabad.
58. Was he aware of your communications with Netanyahu at the time?
Response 71:
Correct, that is a statement Mr. Kushner made during a conversation with 60 Minutes. The strong relationships Mr. Kushner has developed over the last decade played a critical role in ending the war in Gaza, freeing the hostages, and recovering the bodies of the 28 murdered hostages.
Response 72:
That is both unfair and inaccurate if used to describe Mr. Kushner’s actions. The premise of your question is totally false and the allegation is defamatory. Mr. Kushner never accessed foreign accounts and always followed all rules and regulations and only pursued goals that were in the best interest of the United States as directed by the President of the United States. Finally, Mr. Kushner stands by his strong track record of diplomatic successes and is very proud of the results he has delivered for the American people and the world.
C. July 12 Email
Below is a response to the factual assertion and question in your July 12 Email.
Response 73:
Your reporting is incorrect. See Response 2. Mr. Kushner does not have an account in Cyprus and he never received any such transfer.
* * * * *
Based on your questions, it seems that you have received bad information or are purposely fabricating false accusations for a purpose we cannot comprehend. If the former, hopefully these answers will help you move on from these claims or go back and try to substantiate them with facts which we are confident do not exist.
Notes
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning given to them in the July 30 Letter. ↩