Trump son-in-law Kushner to be a senior adviser
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump’s inflfluential son-in-law Jared Kushner will join him in the White House as a senior adviser, transition offifficials said Monday, putting the young real estate executive in position to exert broad sway over both domestic and foreign policy, particularly Middle East issues and trade negotiations.
Trump has come to rely heavily on Kushner, who i s mar r i e d t o t h e p r e s i - dent-elect’s daughter Ivanka.
Since the election, Kush- ner has been one of the transition team’s main liaisons to foreign governments, communicating with Israeli offifficials and meeting last week with Britain’s foreign minister.
He’s also huddled with congressional leaders and helped interview Cabinet candidates.
Hi s eligibilit y could be challenged. But Kushner lawyer Jamie Gorelick argued Monday t h a t a 1 9 6 7 l aw meant to bar government officials from hiring relatives does not apply to the West Wing.
She cited a later congres- sional measure to allow the president “unfettered” and “sweeping” authority in hiring staffffffffffff.
Kushner, who will not be taking a salary, will resign as CEO of his family’s real estate company and as publisher of the New York Observer, as well as divest “substantial assets,” Gorelick said. She said Kushner will recuse himself “from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effffffffffffect on his remaining financial interests.”
Ivanka Trump, who also pl ayed a s i g ni f i c a nt ro l e advising her father during the presidential campaign, will not be taking a formal White House position, transition offifficials said.
She is the mother of three young c hi l dren, and her immediate plans are focusing on her family ’s move from New York to Washington, though officials said her role could change in the future.