Donald Trump is free to go ahead with his plan to hire his son-in-law Jared Kushner as a Senior White House advisor, the U.S. Justice Department of Justice said on Saturday. The appointment will avoid breaking federal anti-nepotism laws.
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The White House is exempted from a 1967 law that bars public officials from appointing relatives to the head of federal agencies, and therefore the law “would not prohibit the contemplated appointment,” Daniel L. Koffsky, a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, said in a memorandum.
In a statement this month Trump called Kushner, 35, who is married to Trump daughter Ivanka, a “tremendous asset and trusted adviser.” Kushner has previously been a senior member on Trump’s campaign team and will now work alongside Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon, who is the founder of far-right media outlet Breitbart.
Kushner is reported to be taking the role without a salary and his lawyer said that he will divest from ownership in the media outlet the New York Observer and investment firm Thrive Capital. In keeping with ethical standards, he will step down as chief executive officer of family real estate company Kushner Companies.
Kushner is not the first example of family ties in the White House. John Kennedy picked his brother Robert as his attorney general, and Bill Clinton put wife Hillary in charge of an initiative to change the healthcare system.