Here's the Thing About Ivanka Trump's New White House Role: It's Possibly Illegal

Ivanka Trump, despite previous reports suggesting otherwise, will assume a voluntary role in her father's administration. On March 21, the White House confirmed to Politico that Trump will join the president's team complete with an office in the West Wing. There's one small issue with Trump's role, however: it's completely unprecedented and possibly illegal.

As script writer David Slack points out, there is a law on the books (5 U.S.C. 3110) that prohibits a public official from appointing a relative to another civic position.

Specifically, the stipulation reads: "A public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in or to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official."

While Trump will not take on an official paid position, she will certainly influence policy. And as the president's other ethically questionable appointments have proven, he's not concerned by antinepotism laws (and they are also apparently fairly easy to skirt). Trump will also reportedly seek security clearance and receive government-issued devices.

Trump's attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Politico that she will focus on women's empowerment issues and provide "broad-ranging advice" to the president. Gorelick also insisted that Trump will adhere to government ethics and records retention rules as well, even though her role is unofficial. Evidence supports Trump's transition away from her fashion work, raising more ethics concerns: she placed her remaining retail brands in a trust and relinquished daily duties to the company's top executive, according to The New York Times.