Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, has agreed to serve as an official, but unpaid, Federal Employee. She and her legal team have made statements assuring that she would be bound to the same regulations as other federal employees, including filing certain financial information. Historically, other children of United States presidents have been known to exert their influence over the administration, leading some to speculate what Ivanka might accomplish.
What do we know about her role so far?
Ivanka will join her husband, Jared Kushner, who currently has the title of senior adviser, while she will be an assistant to the president.
At one point, it had been concerned that Kushner's appointment had violated federal laws concerning nepotism, but the Justice Department later issued a statement that the President is not under that jurisdiction, and could be permitted to appoint a relative.
Ivanka had said as early as last week that she would serve some informal position to provide aid for her father. She reportedly already has an office in the West Wing that is close to her husband's office and is also expected to receive government-issued security clearance and certain communications devices soon.
In a recently released statement, Ivanka had attempted to address concerns over her position by saying that she would be bound "to all of the same rules as other federal employees" and assured her role would be unpaid.
According to a statement by her lawyer, Jamie S. Gorelick, she will also file any needed financial disclosure forms that will be required of employees in her position. Notably, Gorelick is a Democrat who served under President Bill Clinton.
A daughter of the President can have a lot of influence
White House spokesperson Hope Hicks referred to Ivanka as her father's "first daughter," and said in a statement that this new position would help her influence initiatives that she supports for the American people.
During the original election, Ivanka had been an advocate for a federal maternity leave policy and affordable child care. Some have been more critical of Ivanka's role, such as Norman L. Eisen, who accused her appointment of "nepotism," according to a telephone interview.
Throughout American history, other children of current Presidents have been known for the influence.
Doug Wead, the author of “All the Presidents’ Children,” for example, compared Ivanka's role to Franklin D. Roosevelt's daughter Anna, who also served as a private assistant to her father, in addition to listing Jack Ford, Chip Carter, and George W. Bush as similar examples.
