Posted on 02/11/2017 12:14:52 PM PST by nickcarraway
The Kushner family, which already has close ties to the White House, may soon join Major League Baseball.
Joshua Kushner, whose older brother is an adviser to President Trump, has a preliminary agreement to buy the Miami Marlins for about $1.6 billion, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations said Friday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria have not commented publicly on negotiations.
The preliminary agreement preceded due diligence by Kushner, the person said, adding the final offer could be much lower than $1.6 billion. Other parties are also interested in buying the Marlins, and Loria might reopen negotiations with them.
Kushner, 31, is a New York City businessman and investor and part of the real estate family that also includes Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and an adviser to the president. Joshua is Jared's younger brother.
Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is not believed to part of the effort to the buy team. Neither is the Kushners' father, Charles, who ran the family real estate firm until he went to prison for tax evasion, making illegal campaign contributions and witness intimidation.
"Under Major League Baseball rules, the Commissioner's Office must be informed of any conversations about a potential sale,'' Major League Baseball said in a statement Thursday. "The Commissioner's Office has not heard directly or indirectly of any conversation involving Charles Kushner.''
Any sale must be approved by at least three-quarters of Major League Baseball teams.
The Marlins haven't reached the payrolls since 2003, longest streak in the National League, and finished last in the NL in attendance in 11 of the past 12 years despite moving into a new ballpark in 2012. Small crowds have been blamed in part on Loria's unpopularity stemming from the team's perennially small payrolls and a financing agreement for the new ballpark widely viewed as unfair to taxpayers.
The 76-year-old Loria, a New York art dealer, approved increasing team payroll by one-third this season to about $100 million, which raised speculation he wanted a competitive team to make it more appealing to potential buyers.
Loria bought the Marlins for $158.5 million in 2002 from John Henry, now part of the Boston Red Sox ownership group.
It would be too cool if the First Family became a baseball family.
I agree. And the stink from the Left alone would make it a plus in my book.
Now the Left will want to boycott baseball.
About all that’s left is mom and hot apple pie.
We know they’ll never go after mom since they live in her basement, she does their laundry, feeds them, and pays all the bills.
I’d look out if I were hot apple pie.
Yes. Hard to believe there are a few things left still to add.
Now that its come out you can bet the sale will get derailed. MLB will bow to “public pressure” and block it, bets anyone?
Yes if this goes through the left will say, boycott the Miami Marlins, boycott baseball, etc.
I don’t get the left. Probably will never understand them.
Even in the area of sports, they have meltdowns.
Rush Limbaugh was compelled to withdraw from a group which wanted to buy the Rams, because the left made such a stink, and the NFL was afraid to confront protests over Rush being a part owner of a team.
The same NFL which is OK with liberal entertainers at the Super Bowl is afraid of the reaction if a prominent conservative were part of ownership of a team. Go figure.
I know. These enterprises have no idea that most of the nation doesn’t buy into the Leftist mind meld.
Take a look at what both sides stand for. Wake up. Get behind something wholesome you can be proud of.
Protesters will not allow them to buy the Marlins
They will Rush Limbaugh him
(Jeff) Loria bought the Marlins for $158.5 million in 2002.
Loria sounds like a shrewed business man. Sold the club for ten times what he bought for 15 years ago.
“I dont get the left. Probably will never understand them.”
Do you accept that all leftist thought, from the limousine liberalism of a George Clooney to the murderous horrors of Mao, Stalin, and Pol Pot, is of and from Satan?
The difference between a leftist and a Satanist is that the Satanist knows who he’s working for.
what a sorry, crapweasel headline...
People who like sports don’t give a bleep what the social justice warriors protest.
Joshua Kushner is a democrat. He was even at the women’s march in DC
Thanks for pointing that out. I should have suspected it.
Being related through marriage to Trump though, I doubt this guy safe.
We’ll see. I could be wrong.
These are strange days.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.