Donald Trump’s son-in-law, whose influence over the campaign along with Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon greatly aided Trump’s victory, will have a senior position in the White House, Talking Points Memo reports.
Jared Kushner is a real estate heir and owner of The New York Observer. Both present a conflict of interest that his lawyers say he’ll mitigate with the same blind trust tactic that Trump has promised to use. In that model, Kushner would have no control or access to and agree to refuse income from his real-estate and media holdings. Kushner might also refuse pay for work done for Trump.
Can President Trump legally give son-in-law Jared Kushner a WH role—& could Kushner get security clearance? Yes & yes, per @PeteWilliamsNBC. pic.twitter.com/GQDKxLIJx9
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) November 16, 2016
Trump is forbidden by a federal anti-nepotism law from appointing his children for employment in a government “agency,” but it’s unclear if the law applies to the White House.
Trump’s dazed, overwhelmed post-election persona suggests that his closest advisers will dictate his policy, if not his erratic behavior. Steve Bannon is already being referred to as the “Trump whisperer.” However, in the final days of the campaign, when Trump couldn’t sleep, Kushner was chosen to stay up talking to him because of his “soothing, whispery voice,” according to a last minute NY Times profile of the campaign.
(image via YouTube screengrab)