Despite Republican efforts to the contrary, the Office of Government Ethics continues to exist. They've now weighed in on Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway's televised promotion of Ivanka Trump's clothing line during a Fox News interview, which they agree is just as blatantly unethical as everybody already knew it was.
In a letter addressed to Deputy White House Counsel Stefan Passantino, the director of the Office of Government Ethics said Conway's comments were in "clear violation" of rules against the misuse of an official position. [...]
"I note that OGE's regulation on misuse of position offers as an example the hypothetical case of a Presidential appointee appearing in a television commercial to promote a product," Shaub said. "Ms. Conway's actions track that example almost exactly. Therefore, I recommend that the White House investigate Ms. Conway's actions and consider taking disciplinary action against her."
The only defense the White House has offered for Conway's promotion of Ivanka's products was that it was intended as lighthearted. (It should be noted that the courts are generally unsympathetic to this defense; clown masks are generally not considered ameliorating factors in a bank robbery, and murder remains murder even if you carried out the deed "ironically.") Get it? Conway was only breaking ethics rules from inside the White House to show how funny it would be if she would do that.
So we now have the government's own ethics experts agreeing that yes, what Conway did was a clear ethical violation. It's now up to one of two groups to do something about it. Either the White House itself can "discipline" Conway or the Congress, which cares very very very much about wrongdoing within the executive branch, can open an investigation into the matter themselves.
Oh, good. So we can rest easy, then.