© Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
Ivanka Trump’s clothing company received Beijing’s approval for trademarks on the same day she had dinner alongside Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, where her father was holding meetings with China’s president, the AP reports. The news comes as Ivanka, who was recently given an office in the West Wing of the White House and serves as an unpaid assistant to President Trump, continues to raise ethics concerns as she remains in control of her business, Ivanka Trump Marks LLC, which sells clothing and jewelry, among other items. While using one’s government position to build and maintain a brand is not illegal, Trump and her father are barred from making governmental decisions that would affect their bottom line. Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush, said Ivanka should “put the business on hold and stop trying to get trademarks while you’re in government.” Her attorney said the business assets are in a trust and that Trump will recuse herself from government decisions when necessary, adding: “She has retained authority to direct the trustees to terminate agreements that she determines create a conflict of interest of the appearance of one.”