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White House or Trump House? Kushner named senior adviser

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Jared Kushner’s appointment negates US nepotism laws

President-elect Donald Trump has named his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as one of his senior White House advisers.

The 35-year old played a key role in the presidential campaign and his new White House job will cover both domestic and foreign policy.

Mr Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is a property developer with a wide range of business interests.


Unlike Trump, who is very visible and vocal on Twitter, Kushner hasn’t posted on the platform since joining in 2009.

He does follow 41 people and has over 17,000 followers.

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Democrats immediately called for a review of the appointment, citing nepotism laws and potential conflicts.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee urged the Department of Justice and the Office of Government Ethics to step in.

Earlier, Mr Trump hailed his son-in-law as a “tremendous asset” and he was proud to give him a “key leadership role” in the administration.

The New York businessman will be inaugurated as the 45th president on 20 January.

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Members of Mr Trump’s team have argued that a law barring officials from giving government jobs to relatives does not apply to White House positions.

There are also federal ethics laws that mean government employees cannot profit from any businesses.

Mr Kushner’s lawyer has said he would step down as boss of his family’s real estate business if he took a White House job, and extricate himself from some of his assets.

Jamie Gorelick of law firm WilmerHale said Mr Kushner was committed to complying with federal ethics laws and had consulted with the Office of Government Ethics about what steps to take.

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Mr Kushner was often seen by his father-in-law’s side during the presidential campaign and was heavily involved in its digital strategy.

He was said to have played a role in the ousting of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from the transition team during the campaign.

While US attorney for New Jersey, Mr Christie prosecuted Mr Kushner’s father for tax evasion and witness tampering, and he served a jail sentence.

Mr Kushner has also been present at Cabinet interviews and in key meetings with foreign leaders.

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He owns 666 Fifth Avenue, a skyscraper a few blocks down from Trump Tower, and aged 25, he bought the New York Observer newspaper.

Several of Mr Trump’s Cabinet picks have business interests that will be scrutinised at confirmation hearings taking place this week.

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