Jared Kushner, the US President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law, will become a senior White House adviser working on trade and the Middle East, officials said on Monday.
Despite controversy surrounding the news, Kushner is taking the role following news from the legal counsel, who confirmed that doing so would not violate U.S. anti-nepotism law.
Trump, in a statement on Monday announcing the choice, said that Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, was a “tremendous asset and trusted advisor throughout the campaign and transition.”
A graduate in sociology from Harvard, Kushner is a vastly wealthy property developer and publisher who played an important role in the President elect’s campaign and has since been included in key meetings with foreign leaders during the transition period.
In his new role, he will focus on trade policy and the Middle East, according to officials from the transition team.
Democratic lawmakers have not taken the news lightly. In a letter, all members of the House Judiciary Committee, argue that a “strong case” can be made that the 1967 federal anti-nepotism statute applies to staff working in the White House. This has been rejected by the Trump team.
They also raise questions about how Trump’s son-in-law could avoid conflicts of interest in his new role at the White House.
Kushner’s lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, has said in a statement: “Mr. Kushner is committed to complying with federal ethics laws and we have been consulting with the Office of Government Ethics regarding the steps he would take,”
Kushner will not take a salary and will work on issues involving the Middle East and Israel; trying to forge government partnerships with the private sector; and collaborate with Trump’s choice for commerce secretary, Wilbur L. Ross Jr., on matters involving free trade.
He said in a statement he is “energized” and “humbled” by the opportunity.