"I Think It Would Be Fun To Run A Newspaper"

Jared Kushner: an American real estate investor and developer, publisher of the New York Observer. Until very recently, that is. He is the husband of one Ivanka Trump: American businesswoman, socialite, author, and fashion model. Why, in heaven's name, should we be at all concerned about their proximity to their new boss: Big Daddy Trump? Why should we cast anything but a quick glance at the "President's" closest advisors? 

How about this: "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. An individual may not be appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in or to a civilian position in an agency if such appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement has been advocated by a public official, serving in or exercising jurisdiction or control over the agency, who is a relative of the individual." This comes from 5 U.S. Code § 3110 - Employment of relatives; restrictions. If there is any further doubt, consider these definitions: (2) “public official” means an officer (including the President and a Member of Congress), a member of the uniformed service, an employee and any other individual, in whom is vested the authority by law, rule, or regulation, or to whom the authority has been delegated, to appoint, employ, promote, or advance individuals, or to recommend individuals for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement in connection with employment in an agency; and

(3)“relative” means, with respect to a public official, an individual who is related to the public official as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister.

I added the bold for emphasis, but otherwise that is the text of the Code of the United States. That's the rule. 

Luckily, the queen of alterna-facts, Kellyanne Conway is here to help us out: “The anti-nepotism law apparently has an exception if you want to work in the West Wing,” Conway noted. “Because the President is able to appoint his own staff.” She continued, “So, of course, this came about to stop family members from serving in the Cabinet. But the President does have discretion to choose his staff of his liking. And so if that actually is true and that legal advice holds, then that will open up a realm of possibilities.”

So, off goes Senior Adviser Jared to Iraq with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and just down the hall from the Oval Office, you'll find Ivanka performing whatever important duties socialite author fashion models perform at the White House. If she gets bored with that, maybe she can run the Navy. But from an advisory position, of course.