Kellyanne Conway’s defense and endorsement of Ivanka Trump’s clothing line is yet another ethical violation committed by the Trump administration, and this one breaks a federal law. During a segment on “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning, Conway, a senior Trump advisor, gave a “free commercial” for the President’s daughter’s clothing line. Following Ivanka’s line being dropped by several major retailers, the President tweeted his dissatisfaction with how his daughter was being treated by Nordstrom in particular, the first store to break ties with the brand.
The Code of Federal Regulations clearly states that “an employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity.” The House Oversight Committee chairman, as well as watchdog groups Public Citizen and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington have called for the Office of Government Ethics to investigate. Both groups released statements expressing concerns about a pattern of “[using] official offices, particularly the White House and the Executive Office of the President, to benefit business interests of relatives and supporters of the president.” In the first few days of his presidency, Donald Trump promised to separate his business from the White House, but Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, sees Conway’s remarks about Ivanka’s clothing line as “yet more evidence” that this is false, and not happening.
When fielded with a question about Conway during Thursday’s White House Press Conference, Sean Spicer simply stated that Conway had been “counseled on that subject.” While the Office of Government Ethics doesn’t have the enforcement power of Congress or the FBI, they have contacted the appropriate agencies after being flooded with calls and emails, according to their Twitter.
