From the White House, Kellyanne urged Fox viewers to buy Ivanka's clothing line

[GMDino]

Video at the link.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/9/1631776/-With-the-WH-as-a-backdrop-Conway-urged-Fox-viewers-to-buy-Ivanka-s-clothes-and-broke-federal-law?detail=facebook

Quote:Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President of the United States, took to Fox & Friends this morning to plea for Fox viewers to go out and buy Ivanka Trump’s clothing line. With the White House emblem in the background, she said, ‘Go buy Ivanka’s stuff!” Here is a brief clip, jump below for the full jaw-dropping clip, transcript and outline of the federal law she appears to have violated this morning.
[/url]

Quote:[url=https://twitter.com/AndrewKirell] Follow
Andrew Kirell 

@AndrewKirell
"Go buy Ivanka's stuff!" Kellyanne Conway tells "Fox & Friends" viewers from the White House briefing room.
8:12 AM - 9 Feb 2017

The full clip and full transcript:

Quote:KELLYANNE CONWAY: Basically because he keeps his promises. Everybody is just shocked that man about accountability. You could ask about Ivanka. I visited with her yesterday. This is a very successful business woman twice. Obviously she stepped away from it now but in the past she has helped to run her family's real estate empire and on the side, she developed another fully unbelievably entrepreneurial wildly success business that bears her name. And I think she has gone from 800 stores to 1,000 stores or 1,000 places where can you buy. And you can certainly buy her goods online. She’s an incredibly creative, talented woman who also supports her father's presidency and realizes that there are bigger issues that he is going to tackle and if she decides and it works for her family, she comes inside the white house here. She knows people like Deena Powell and me will be working with her to help on women empowerment. Women and girls. 

I do find it ironic that you have got some executives all over the internet bragging about what they have done to her and her line and, yet, they are using the most prominent woman in Donald Trump's, you know, most prominent, you know she’s his daughter. And they are using her, who has been a champion for women empowerment of women in the workplace to get to him. I think people could see through that.  
Go buy ivanka's stuff. I hate shopping, I will go get some myself today. 

STEVE DOOCY: There is is that #buy ivanka right now. There is that #grab your wallet is that behind that stuff. 

KELLYANNE CONWAY: Some of it is. We know where that's came from. They had a whole election. First female president everybody saw talking about that day. She had no message no, pos message that failed at the ballot box. A March saying the same thing the day after he was sworn in as president. They are welcome to March. But what's of it in terms of commercial interests. This is just wonderful line. I own some of it I fully -- I'm going to give a free commercial here. 

Kellyanne Conway repeatedly told Fox & Friends viewers to go out and buy Ivanka Trump’s failing clothing line. This appears to be a clear violation of federal law. (H/T Chris Lu)

Quote:§ 2635.702 Use of public office for private gain.

An employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the 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, including nonprofit organizations of which the employee is an officer or member, and persons with whom the employee has or seeks employment or business relations. The specific prohibitions set forth in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section apply this general standard, but are not intended to be exclusive or to limit the application of this section.

Emphasis added. Ivanka Trump may have removed herself as the manager of her company, but she did NOT divest. She still profits from the company. Her divestment is about as blind as Donald Trump’s — nothing more than a front. 

And what message is this sending to any company that declines to do business with the Trump Organization? If you are a retailer selling Donald Trump’s (made in Asia) ties or his (made in Mexico) suits and sales are tanking, will the President of the United States use power of the the White House to publicly go after you? After all, yesterday the president’s own spokesman referred to Nordstrom’s decision to stop carrying the Ivanka Trump line (due to lackluster sales) as a "direct attack" on Donald Trump and his policies. 

The Trump family is clearly using the White House to financially benefit their family. Where does this end? 

Update! The Washington Post contacted experts who agree this was a violation:

Quote:Attorneys, including Campaign Legal Center general counsel Lawrence Noble, said Conway’s endorsement directly conflicted with OGE rules designed to separate government policy from private business dealings.

“Conway’s encouragement to buy Ivanka’s stuff would seem to be a clear violation of rules prohibiting misuse of public office for anyone’s private gain,” Don W. Fox, former general counsel and former acting director of OGE, told The Post.

“This is jaw dropping to me,” Fox added. “This rule has been promulgated by the federal Office of Government Ethics as part of the Standards of Conduct for all executive branch employees and it applies to all members of the armed forces as well.”