Trump's daughter raises concerns for working unofficially at the White House

Experts say Ivanka Trump's move to an 'unofficial' position at the White House could potentially create unpredictable conflicts of interest.

Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, will work at the White House next month as an informal adviser to her father without receiving a salary.

In a statement to NBC News, the White House said it was "pleased that Ivanka Trump has chosen to take this unprecedented step," adding that her uncompensated role reinforces the White House's commitment to ethics, transparency, and compliance. It also "creates more opportunities for Ivanka to advance real policy initiatives that benefit the American public."

Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP

However, according to CNN, Ivanka Trump's role as an advisor in the White House has also caused many concerns. Critics say that US President Trump is at risk of violating the anti-nepotism law, passed in 1967, which stipulates that government officials, from the president to low-level managers in federal agencies, are not allowed to hire or promote relatives.

But the law also says the federal government has “no obligation” to pay those who violate the law. That opens the door for Mr. Trump to hire his son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka to work in the White House without breaking the law if they refuse to accept compensation, experts say.

When Kushner joined Trump's team in January, the US Justice Department concluded that his senior adviser position did not violate federal anti-nepotism laws.

"When it comes to selecting his personal staff, the president has more latitude than usual. Congress felt it was appropriate for his office to do so," said Daniel Koffsky, deputy assistant attorney general of the US Department of Justice, who is responsible for interpreting federal law for the White House.

Koffsky explained earlier this year that the anti-nepotism law only applies to positions in "executive" agencies, and that the White House Office is not one of them. He also cited another law that gives the president greater power in selecting personnel.

This law allows the US President to appoint "employees in the White House office without regard to any other provisions of law relating to personnel adjustments or compensation for individuals serving in the government".

Conflict of interest

According to Jamie S. Gorelick, the US President's lawyer, in her new role, Ivanka will still be the "eyes and ears" for her father because she has long been considered an important advisor that Mr. Trump trusts deeply.

However, according to CNN commentator Anushay Hossain, the decision to let Ivanka work at the White House is controversial because there are still many conflicts of interest surrounding her, both domestically and internationally.

It is extremely rare for a US president to have his daughter become an adviser at the White House. Therefore, Ivanka is fully capable of exploiting the shortcomings in the management mechanism to gain certain benefits, Hossain commented. An "unofficial" and "unpaid" position has many loopholes.

On the other hand, working at the White House also means Ivanka will be exempt from security clearances and have access to top-secret information. Even without a salary or a specific title, Ivanka will certainly play a central role in her father's management apparatus, Hossain emphasized.

Despite filing to withdraw from the Trump Organization and selling more than $36 million in assets to comply with ethics rules, Ivanka still owns her own jewelry and clothing brands.

Ethics watchdogs say monitoring of Ivanka’s purchases should still be in place, but it’s not enough to completely prevent conflicts of interest. Even Gorelick, the lawyer, admits there’s no way to create a “complete conflict-of-interest-free zone.”

According to VNE

Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP