The United States President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump is officially joining her father's administration as an unpaid employee of the White House. The announcement came after ethics experts questioned her plans to serve the president in an informal capacity.
Ivanka on Wednesday announced her decision of officially joining the Trump administration after concerns of her serving Trump in her "personal capacity."
I "heard the concerns some have with my advising the President in my personal capacity," Ivanka said, adding that she has been "working in good faith with the White House Counsel and my personal counsel to address the unprecedented nature of my role."
A White House official said that Ivanka's title in the White House will be assistant to the president. The White House is a statement said that it was "pleased that Ivanka Trump has chosen to take this step in her unprecedented role as First Daughter and in support of the President."
The first daughter had moved into the West Wing of the White House last week, which indicated her expanding role in her father's administration. There were reports that although the 35-year-old had no official title in the White House, she was set to get access to classified information, raising concerns from ethics expert.
Several government watchdog leaders and attorneys had written a letter to the White House counsel Don McGahn last week, asking him to reconsider his approval of Ivanka Trump serving her father without becoming an official government employee.
An official employee of the government is required to follow various transparency and ethical provisions, including a law that prohibits conflicts of interest. She, however, had stated that even though she will not hold an official title, she would voluntarily follow such provisions regardless.
"I will continue to offer my father my candid advice and counsel, as I have for my entire life," Ivanka had said. "While there is no modern precedent for an adult child of the president, I will voluntarily follow all of the ethics rules placed on government employees," she added.
Ivanka continues to own her clothes brand, but has handed daily management of the firm to the company president and has set up a trust to provide further oversight, according to the Associated Press. Ivanaks's business now cannot make deals with any foreign state.
She has also stepped down from a leadership role with the Trump Organization and will receive fixed payments rather than a share of the business profits.
