White House scrambles after Kellyanne Conway’s ethics misstep
The president’s advisor promoted Ivanka Trump’s clothing line in a recent interview. Critics are saying the move violated ethics guidelines.
Most PR pros are eager to promote their clients’ interests—but not when it lands them in legal hot water.
Such is the lesson that Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, is learning.
On Thursday, Conway appeared on Fox News to talk about Trump’s response to Nordstrom’s decision to pull his daughter’s clothing line from its shelves.
In the interview, Conway promoted the brand—violating an ethics rule that restricts government employees from making endorsements.
“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff, is what I would tell you,” Conway said. “It’s a wonderful line. I own some of it. I fully — I’m going to just, I’m going to give a free commercial here: Go buy it today, everybody. You can find it online.”
The comments could run afoul with federal law that bars public employees from making an “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.”
Here’s the interview:
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