Trump, Kellyanne, And Ivanka: Who Broke The Law?

Kellyanne Conway, counsellor to former US President Donald Trump, may have broken federal law by endorsing Ivanka Trump's products on live television. Ivanka is the daughter of Donald Trump, and her product line was dropped by Nordstrom, prompting Conway to say, Go buy Ivanka's stuff. Ivanka Trump has also been accused of violating the Hatch Act, which limits certain political activities of federal employees, by using her Twitter account for partisan political purposes.

Kellyanne Conway may have broken the law by endorsing Ivanka Trump's products on live TV

On 9 February 2017, Kellyanne Conway, counsellor to President Donald Trump, appeared to have broken federal ethics law by endorsing Ivanka Trump's products on live TV. Ivanka Trump is the daughter of Donald Trump and Conway was speaking on the Fox & Friends program.

Conway was addressing Nordstrom's decision to stop selling Ivanka Trump-branded products. She said: "Go buy Ivanka's stuff, is what I would say. It's a wonderful line, I own some of it. I'm going to give a free commercial here, go buy it today."

Legal experts pointed out that Conway's endorsement appeared to violate 5 CFR 2635.702, a law that prohibits the use of public office to endorse a product. The statute addresses the "use of public office for private gain".

Larry Noble, the general counsel for the Campaign Legal Centre, a nonpartisan organisation based in Washington DC, said Conway had "violated the ban on Federal employees using public office for endorsement of product".

Conway was criticised by both sides of the political spectrum. Even Republican House Oversight Committee chair, Rep Jason Chaffetz, said her remarks were "clearly over the line, unacceptable".

Conway was counselled on the matter, but it is unclear if she faced any further disciplinary action.

Ivanka Trump herself has also been accused of violating the Hatch Act, which limits certain political activities of federal employees.

Ivanka Trump accused of violating the Hatch Act

Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US President Donald Trump, has been accused of violating the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act bars federal employees from using their official positions to push partisan political agendas.

Ivanka Trump, who served as Assistant to the President and Advisor to the President on job creation and economic empowerment, was accused of violating the Hatch Act by engaging in both official government business and political activity on her personal Twitter account, @IvankaTrump.

The allegations against Ivanka Trump arose when she tweeted a message promoting Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign, which included the campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," and stated, "the best is yet to come." This tweet was posted just two days before Donald Trump's planned campaign launch in 2019 and three days after the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) recommended that Kellyanne Conway, a colleague of Ivanka Trump, be fired for her repeated Hatch Act violations.

The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint against Ivanka Trump, claiming that she had violated the Hatch Act by using her personal social media account, which she also uses for official government business, to engage in political activity. CREW's executive director, Noah Bookbinder, stated that Ivanka Trump's actions were a blatant disregard for the OSC and the rule of law, demonstrating a pattern of illegal politicized behavior within the Trump White House.

Ivanka Trump's potential violation of the Hatch Act adds to a series of ethics scandals she has been involved in during her time as a senior advisor in the Trump administration.

Kellyanne Conway's comments were clearly over the line

Kellyanne Conway, a counsellor to President Donald Trump, was accused of breaking federal law by endorsing Ivanka Trump's products on live TV. Conway, in a televised interview, addressed the controversy surrounding the president's tweets by defending Ivanka Trump, calling her a "very successful businesswoman".

Conway, speaking from the White House briefing room, with the White House seal displayed prominently behind her, went on to say:

> Go buy Ivanka’s stuff, is what I would tell you. I hate shopping, and I’m going to get some myself today. It’s a wonderful line, I own some of it. I’m going to give a free commercial here, go buy it today.

Legal experts were quick to point out that this endorsement appears to violate 5 C.F.R. 2635.702, a law that prohibits the use of public office to endorse a product. This law, §2635.702 Use of public office for private gain, 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, including nonprofit organizations of which the employee is an officer or member, and persons with whom the employee has or seeks employment or business relations.

Conway's comments were clearly over the line. She used her position as a counsellor to the president to promote Ivanka Trump's products, which is a direct violation of the law. This is not a small technicality, but a blatant disregard for the rules. The law is designed to stop people in government from doing exactly what she did.

Representative Jason Chaffetz, the Republican House Oversight Committee chair, agreed that Conway's remarks were "clearly over the line, unacceptable".

Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, called for the U.S. Office of Government Ethics to investigate Conway's remarks. Robert Weissman, the group's president, said:

> Anyone harbouring illusions that there was some separation between the Trump administration and the Trump family businesses has had their fantasy shattered.

Conway's comments were a clear violation of the law and a breach of ethical standards. It is unacceptable for a government official to use their position to promote personal business interests, and Conway's actions only serve to further erode trust in the Trump administration.

Ivanka Trump accused of violating ethics laws eight times in two days

Ivanka Trump, advisor to former US President Donald Trump, was accused of violating ethics laws eight times in two days by a US watchdog. The nonpartisan ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) claimed that Ivanka Trump broke the Hatch Act numerous times.

The Hatch Act, passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees to ensure that "federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation". It also prohibits employees from coercing or pressuring other employees from taking part in political activity and ensures that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.

In this instance, CREW claimed that Ivanka Trump used her Twitter account, @IvankaTrump, for partisan political purposes. In eight tweets from 11 October to 13 October, she promoted her father's re-election campaign, detailing her movements on the Trump campaign trail and speaking positively about his presidency.

In one tweet, she wrote, "Headed back to the great state of Arizona to campaign for @realDonaldTrump this Sunday!" In another, she said, "Barnstorming the Fox Cities today! The great people of Wisconsin delivered for @RealDonaldTrump in 2016 and will do it again!!"

CREW argued that these tweets violated the Hatch Act, stating that Ivanka Trump was "using her official position to push a partisan agenda". They noted that Ivanka Trump's Twitter account lists her official position as "Advisor to POTUS on job creation + economic empowerment, workforce development & entrepreneurship", and that she regularly uses the account for official government business.

This incident occurred just days after the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) recommended the removal of White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway for violating the Hatch Act. Conway was accused of endorsing Ivanka Trump's products on live TV, which may have broken federal ethics laws.

Kellyanne Conway may have violated ban on federal employees using public office for endorsement

On February 9, 2017, Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump's senior adviser, promoted Ivanka Trump's line of products during a live TV interview on Fox News. Ivanka Trump is President Trump's daughter. Conway's comments were:

> Go buy Ivanka's stuff, is what I would tell you. It's a wonderful line. I own some of it. I'm going to give a free commercial here, go buy it today.

Conway appeared to be standing inside the White House press briefing room when she made these remarks.

Under federal law, it is illegal for a federal employee to use their public office for their own private gain or "for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise". Conway is a federal employee, and her comments were an endorsement.

Larry Noble, the general counsel for the Campaign Legal Centre, a nonpartisan organisation based in Washington DC, suggested that Conway may have violated the ban on federal employees using public office for endorsement. The statute he cited, 5 CFR 2635.702, addresses the "use of public office for private gain". Part (c) of the statute states:

> An employee shall not use or permit the use of his Government position or title or any authority associated with his public office to endorse any product, service or enterprise, except in certain circumstances.

The White House distanced itself from Conway's comments, and Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that Conway had "been counselled on that subject and that's it".

In addition to this incident, Conway has been accused of breaching the Hatch Act of 1939 on several occasions.

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