RantCrush Top 5: March 21, 2017

People have long been wondering what role Ivanka Trump will play during her father’s presidency. Many speculated she might take on the role of First Lady, as Melania Trump has been largely absent from the spotlight. This morning, the White House confirmed that she will soon have her own office in the West Wing, as well as access to top secret information. She will also get government-provided communication devices. But, they were careful to emphasize that she’s still not an official employee of the government. So, it’s unclear what she will actually use the office for.

Ivanka Trump, who is getting a White House office, was involved in building a hotel in Baku plagued by corruption: https://t.co/yui9PXDRF6 pic.twitter.com/ZOwGMmUsS2

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) March 21, 2017

This has obviously reignited the discussion about conflicts of interest for the Trump family, as Ivanka has a lot of business interests in the U.S. and abroad. This news made a lot of people mad–some have even gone so far as to compare the new administration to one in a corrupt third world country.

Does this mean @IvankaTrump won’t:
•need a waiver from anti-nepotism law?
•need to disclose assets or divest?
•need a security clearance? https://t.co/rUgUPrC9zK

— Alex Howard (@digiphile) March 20, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.