Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway may have violated ethics laws by promoting First Daughter Ivanka Trump’s beleaguered clothing line during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
Conway urged viewers to “buy Ivanka’s stuff” in response to reports that retailers such as Nordstrom are scaling back the clothing line due to poor sales. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here,” Conway said. “Go buy it today.”
Peter Schweizer, author of Clinton Cash, which documented the myriad ways in which the Clinton family uses power and money to enrich themselves, said Conway’s actions were inappropriate.
“They’ve crossed a very, very important bright line and it’s not good,” said Schweizer. “To encourage Americans to buy goods from companies owned by the first family is totally out of bounds and needs to stop.”
Ivanka Trump’s marketing battles should be fought by her company, rather than by the President of the United States and his top aides, Schweizer told the Washington Post. “It’s time to move beyond the mindset and the role of a businessman and assume the mantle of commander of chief.”
Some raised concerns that Conway’s remarks amounted to a violation of federal ethics rules prohibiting public officials from using their office “for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends [or] relatives.”
Conway is unlikely to be punished, given that the White House would be responsible for enforcing the rule violation, which would typically warrant disciplinary action such as unpaid suspension.
TAKE THE POLL
