10 Jan 2017

Trump to appoint son-in-law as senior adviser

9:52 am on 10 January 2017
Jared Kushner is married to Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka.

Jared Kushner is married to Donald Trump's elder daughter, Ivanka. Photo: AFP

Two media outlets say US President-elect Donald Trump will appoint his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as his senior adviser - a potentially thorny choice in the face of anti-nepotism law.

Mr Kushner's appointment, reported by NBC and The New York Times, was anticipated, but it was unclear what his official role would be.

Mr Kushner, 35, is married to Mr Trump's elder daughter, Ivanka.

The Times reported that his title could be adjusted.

Mr Kushner, like Mr Trump, is a major New York-based real estate developer with a wide net of business dealings that could pose potential conflicts of interest.

He helped guide Republican Trump to victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November US presidential election. He was involved in almost every aspect of Mr Trump's campaign, from key personnel decisions to strategy and fundraising.

United States President-elect Donald Trump

Donald Trump will be sworn in as US president on 20 January. Photo: AFP

Mr Kushner, along with Mr Trump's children Eric, Donald Jr and Ivanka, were on the President-elect's transition team's executive committee.

Mr Kushner spearheads his family's real estate development company, Kushner Companies, and is the publisher of the weekly New York Observer newspaper, which he acquired at age 25.

It was unclear how any Kushner appointment would be affected by a federal anti-nepotism law that prohibits a president from hiring family members to serve in his administration.

Mr Kushner was working with lawyers on how he would divest and distance himself from his family's business were he to take a role in the Trump administration, the New York Times reported.

China's Anbang Insurance Group was in talks to invest in a project to redevelop a flagship New York City building owned by Kushner Companies.

Mr Trump will be sworn in as US president on 20 January.

- Reuters / RNZ

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