Group files ethics complaint against Conway for promoting Ivanka’s clothing line

A left-leaning watchdog group is asking the federal government to investigate senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway’s comments that Americans should “go buy Ivanka’s stuff.”

In an ethics complaints filed to the Office of Government Ethics, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called the remarks by Conway “an apparent violation of federal law, ethics regulations and other standards of conduct.”

CREW’s executive director, Noah Bookbinder, urged the office to “take any necessarily disciplinary action.”

{mosads}Conway promoted Ivanka Trump’s designer line during an interview with “Fox & Friends” early Thursday morning.

“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff, is what I would tell you.” Conway said. “I hate shopping but I’m going to go get some for myself today.”

“I’m going to give it a free commercial here, go buy it today.”

“The law is clear that public officials should not use their offices for their own private gain or the private gain of others,” Bookbinder said in a statement. “It’s hard to find a clearer case of that kind of misuse of office than we saw today.”

Conway’s comments on Fox News followed President Trump’s Wednesday tweet attacking Nordstrom for dropping his daughter’s clothing line.

“My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!” Trump tweeted.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on Thursday, urging that the committee refer Conway’s comments to the OGE for disciplinary action. 

The way Conway promoted Ivanka Trump’s brand, Cummings said in a statement, was “a textbook violation of government ethics laws and regulations.”

The controversy is the second time this month that Conway has come under criticism for a remark during an interview. Last week, Conway repeatedly referred to the non-existent “Bowling Green massacre” as an example of a terrorist attack committed by Iraqi nationals in the U.S.

Conway apologized for the comments, saying she was instead referring to two Iraqi men in Bowling Green, Kent. who were arrested in 2011 for trying to provide material support to al Qaeda. 

Following the comments, CNN reportedly turned down a White House offer to have Conway appear on “State of the Union” on Sunday, citing questions about her credibility.