A federal watchdog group called for the Office of Government Ethics to investigate and discipline Ivanka Trump for using her position to promote her clothing line.
The organization, Democracy Forward, issued a letter to the head of the Office of Government Ethics on Monday demanding disciplinary action against Trump for using her position as adviser to the president to advertise for her personal brand.
“Ivanka Trump appears to be breaking ethics rules by using her official status to source advertisements that line her pockets,” Democracy Forward executive director Anne Harkavy said, according to a press release. “Her official duties are supposed to benefit American taxpayers, and she should not exploit this position for personal financial gain.”
The letter included a recent Wall Street Journal analysis of Trump's social media accounts between the dates of March 29, 2017 – when she became an official White House adviser – through October, which showed that nearly 70 percent of her posts during that time included an item for sale from her clothing line, many worn during official government appearances.
The group is specifically calling for the acting director of government ethics, David Apol, to investigate contact between Trump and her company and recommend the White House take "appropriate disciplinary action."
Democracy Forward is a nonprofit legal organization created by former Hillary Clinton campaign staffers and advisers.
