He’s the real power behind the throne, so to speak.

Jared Kushner, using the old trick of nepotism, has gotten closer to world power by marrying an heiress than he ever would with his family real estate business.

Of course, some shady (some would say, opportunistic) turns in his family business have caught the attention of some, who want to know who the Kushner empire may be beholden to.

On Friday, a U.S. district judge decided that people had a right to know, and ordered that the Kushner business must reveal their business partners in various Maryland properties, by February 9, 2018.

U.S. District Court Judge James K. Bredar ruled that Kushner Cos., which is run by the family of President Trump‘s son-in-law Jared Kushner, did not create the “compelling government interest” needed by law to block the public’s access to judicial records and documents that reveal the company’s business partners.

Those interested parties would include the Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, ProPublica, and Baltimore TV station, WMAR-TV.

“Increased public interest in a case does not, by itself, overcome the presumption of access,” Bredar wrote, according to CBS News.

“In fact, it would logically strengthen it, particularly when the interest is due to the presence of important public figures in the litigation.”

Kushner stepped away from the business to play White House senior adviser last year, but that hasn’t lessened the public interest in his family business.

Westminster Management, a subsidiary of Kushner Companies was already under scrutiny. Tenants actually filed a lawsuit last year for excessive and illegal rent for those Maryland Apartments.

The Baltimore Sun reported last year that the company had taken part in aggressive debt collecting tactics, including civil arrests of tenants who owed money to the company.

Civil arrests?

Harsh.

It actually sounds like a slumlord situation. The New York Times and ProPublica covered the issue and found that tenants had complained about shoddy upkeep inside the properties, so, yeah. I guess they were a little miffed at the high rent.

It’s not clear why the interested parties want to know who Kushner’s partners are. It may have something to do with his family business’ alleged tied to China.

That may have to wait until all that information is made available.