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Home • Politics

U.S. Ethics Office Calls On White House To Investigate Kellyanne Conway’s Ivanka Trump Endorsement

Conway told viewers on Fox News to buy Trump's products
U.S. Ethics Office Calls On White House To Investigate Kellyanne Conway’s Ivanka Trump Endorsement
Mark Wilson/ 2017 Getty Images
By Katie Reilly · Updated October 26, 2020
This article originally appeared on Time. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has called on the White House to investigate Kellyanne Conway for promoting Ivanka Trump’s products in a TV interview last week. “This is just a wonderful line,” Conway said in an interview on Fox & Friends, speaking from the White House briefing room. “I own some of it. I fully — I’m going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today, everybody. You can find it online.” Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news. In a letter addressed to Deputy White House Counsel Stefan Passantino, the director of the Office of Government Ethics said Conway’s comments were in “clear violation” of rules against the misuse of an official position.
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“Under the present circumstances, there is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of Conduct and that disciplinary action is warranted,” Walter Shaub Jr. said in the letter, dated Feb 13. “I note that OGE’s regulation on misuse of position offers as an example the hypothetical case of a Presidential appointee appearing in a television commercial to promote a product,” Shaub said. “Ms. Conway’s actions track that example almost exactly. Therefore, I recommend that the White House investigate Ms. Conway’s actions and consider taking disciplinary action against her.” The House Oversight Committee sent a letter to the OGE on Thursday asking it to review Conway’s endorsement. Asked about Conway’s comments last week, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said she had been “counseled on that subject – and that’s it.”

Here’s the response we sent to Chairman Chaffetz and Ranking Member Cummings. Also available at: https://t.co/MQhdqv84IK pic.twitter.com/wXQCRTWTpc

— U.S. Office of Government Ethics (@OfficeGovEthics) February 14, 2017