Bloomberg: Ivanka Trump Joins White House Officially, Won’t Sell Brand

Larry Noble, general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, which advocates for stricter controls on money in politics, said the decision not to divest was troubling. Recusal, he said, is limited to those with decision-making authority. That means Ivanka Trump would have more latitude to participate in matters in which her role is to advise, he said.

‘Porous Wall’

“There’s still the core issue of whether she’s going to be involved in things that can affect her family’s business,” Noble said. Her ethics arrangements provide a “very weak, porous wall” between her and her business, he said.

By taking no pay, Ivanka Trump may be able to avoid requirements to divest from assets that pose potential conflicts of interest and to file public financial disclosures, Noble said. Not all federal employees are subject to the same ethics provisions, he said, and the standards that apply are generally tied to an employee’s pay level.

“If Ms. Trump not only heard, but also understood, the ethics concerns expressed by many, she will abide by the principles and goals of the ethics rules designed for the high-level position she will hold in the U.S. government, regardless of her not being paid,” Noble said.