Ivanka Trump Announces She Will Now Officially Become a Federal Employee

This Was Trump’s Plan From the Start

Ivanka Trump Wednesday afternoon announced she has decided to become a federal employee in response to those who were concerned she is advising the President, her father, in a personal capacity. Her title will be Special Assistant to the President.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?: It is an unprecedented violation of federal nepotism laws, or the spirit of federal nepotism laws, that were put in to place after President John F. Kennedy appointed his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, Attorney General.

“I have heard the concerns some have with my advising the president in my personal capacity while voluntarily complying with all ethics rules, and I will instead serve as an unpaid employee in the White House office, subject to all of the same rules as other federal employees,” Ivanka Trump said in a statement, as The New York Times first reported. 

“Throughout this process I have been working closely and in good faith with the White House counsel and my personal counsel to address the unprecedented nature of my role.”

This, of course was the plan from the start of Trump’s presidency.

Days after the election Trump, facing mounting outrage, was forced to announce he was not seeking top security clearances for Ivanka or her husband, Jared Kushner.

Today, Kushner is Senior Advisor to the President, a position that comes with that top security clearance, and Ivanka Trump, even before today’s announcement, had gained top security clearance.

Last week we learned that Ivanka would be given offices that had been reserved for her from the start of the transition team’s planning.

In other words, Trump’s claims that Jared and Ivanka would not become part of the administration was a ruse, a stall tactic. This was the goal, this is why they moved to Washington immediately after the election.

In a stunning statement, the White House announced, “Ivanka’s service as an unpaid employee furthers our commitment to ethics, transparency, and compliance and affords her increased opportunities to lead initiatives driving real policy benefits for the American public that would not have been available to her previously.”

The Times reports Ivanka Trump’s attorney says she will be subject to all ethics rules “she had planned to comply with voluntarily.”