WASHINGTON – Ivanka Trump tweeted Tuesday her support for Goya Foods after comments from the company’s chief executive in support of President Donald Trump last week prompted calls to boycott the brand.
“If it’s Goya, it has to be good,” the president’s daughter, who serves as the president’s formal adviser to the White House, tweeted Tuesday night in English and Spanish along with a photo of her posing with a can of black beans. .
However, the tweet in support of the company could have violated federal ethics laws, which state: “An employee’s position or title should not be used to coerce; to endorse any product, service, or company; or to give the appearance of a government sanction, “According to the Department of Justice. The Justice Department describes such action as a misuse of the government’s position.
The Government Ethics Office, an independent agency of the executive branch, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Ivanka Trump’s tweet comes as critics of the president have been calling for a boycott of Goya after CEO Robert Unanue said last week at a White House event: “We are all truly blessed at the same time for having a leader like President Trump, who is a builder. “
The president commented on the continuing controversy in a tweet on Wednesday morning, saying the company is doing “GREAT” and that the “Radical Left smear machine was counterproductive.”
Ivanka’s endorsement of Goya on Twitter recalls the comments Kellyanne Conway made in 2017 when she promoted Ivanka’s clothing line in an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” said Conway. “I have some of that. I am completely, I’m going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today, everyone. You can find it online,” he added.
The Government Ethics Office warned at the time that it had “solid reason” to believe that Conway’s comments violated ethical rules.
Finally, the White House ethics attorney himself said Conway, who serves as the president’s adviser, acted “inadvertently” when promoting the company of Trump’s daughter.
