Kellyanne Conway's defenders insist the White House counselor was just making a lighthearted joke when she told Fox News viewers to "go buy" items from Ivanka Trump's clothing line. It was her attempt to defend Ivanka after Nordstrom dropped her products, yet it came across as a serious conflict of interest.
Reporters asked White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer what the administration was planning to do about Conway's "free commercial" for the president's daughter. He simply said they had "counseled" her on the issue.
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics wants Conway's punishment to be more than just a talking to. On Tuesday, they asked the White House to take disciplinary actions against Conway, believing she had breached the Standards of Conduct.
#BREAKING: U.S. Office of Government Ethics Calls on White House to Discipline #KellyanneConway pic.twitter.com/nixmDhMc6Q
— House OversightDems (@OversightDems) February 14, 2017
“Executive branch officials should use the authority entrusted to them for the benefit of the American people and not for private profit," the letter reads.
The office has asked the administration to take action by Feb. 28.