Donald Trump appoints son in law as special advisor – but he won’t pay him a penny

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed his son in law as Senior Advisor as he prepares to officially take office on January 20. The new role will be similar to the one he carried out during the entrepreneur’s successful election campaign.

His top staff will also include Reince Priebus, who has been appointed White House Chief of Staff, and Stephen Bannon as Chief Strategist. Mr Kushner, who is worth billions, will not get any pay during his role, in a bid to prevent accusations of nepotism.

In a statement issued to announce Mr Kushner’s appointment, Mr Trump said that his son in law was a “tremendous asset and trusted advisor.” He added that he was extremely successful in business, and now politics, and would prove invaluable as Mr Trump moves forward with plans set out in his campaign.

New home in Washington

Mr Kushner is the husband of Mr Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka. He and Ivanka will not be living in the White House, but have found a mansion in Washington which they are set to move into along with their three children. Mr Trump is set to hold a press conference in New York tomorrow when he will give further details about who will run his business empire while he is in the White House.

Mr Kushner and Mr Trump will need to convince officials that they are not falling foul of anti-nepotism legislation which bans those in top jobs from appointing family members to government. By not taking a wage for the position, Mr Kushner hopes to show that they have not broken the law.

There are also sure to be questions raised about the possibility of conflicts arising between government duties and his real estate empire. Mr Kushner has quickly become a trusted advisor to Mr Trump. He is often the last one to talk to him before any major decisions are taken.