United States President-elect Donald Trump named his son-in-law Jared Kushner senior White House adviser on Tuesday. Kushner is married to Trump’s daugher Ivanka and has served as the transition team’s point person with foreign administrations, communicating with Israeli officials and coordinating Trump’s meeting with Britain’s foreign minister Boris Johnson, AP reported. He has also been consulted on the selection of Trump’s cabinet members.
Critics have questioned Kushner’s role in the White House citing a 1967 anti-nepotism law that prohibits government officials from hiring kin. Kushner’s lawyer Jamie Gorelick defended Kushner’s case while saying that a more recent congressional rule allowed the president “unfettered and sweeping” freedom in hiring staffers.
Ivanka Trump dismissed speculation about her role in the White House and said she was busy with relocating her family from New York to Washington.
In a statement, Trump said Kushner will be an “invaluable member of my team as I set and execute an ambitious agenda”, Kushner will resign from his roles as chief executive officer of the family’s real estate company and publisher of the New York Observer. He will also sell his holdings in the businesses. Gorelick said, “I am not saying there’s no legal argument on the other side. I’m just saying we have the better argument and will prevail,” The New York Times reported.
Gorelick said Kushner will not be receiving any salary for his role in the White House.
During Trump’s election campaign, 36-year-old Kushner served as an integral campaign adviser, particularly on the digital platform. Observers say he has a more moderate stance than Trump on most issues, although he has never publicly contradicted his father-in-law’s extreme opinions on immigration and other matters.
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