GOP Cites Example that Led to Statute in Order to Disregard the Statute

By Dustin Rowles | Horror | November 17, 2016 |

By Dustin Rowles | Horror | November 17, 2016 |

In 1967, LBJ signed into law a statute that forbade members of Congress or the President of the United States from hiring members of their own family, including parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, step-siblings, or sons-in-law. The statute was passed in response to JFK’s decision to install his brother, Robert Kennedy, as the head of the Justice Department.

Now, it seems, Donald Trump wants to hire his son-in-law Jared Kushner for a regular staff position in his Administration (presumably, Kushner will be hired as the cabinet Secretary for the Department of Kicking Chris Christie While He Is Down).

Trump team has asked for son in law Jared Kushner to have top secret clearance for Presidential Daily Brief no precedent for that

— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) November 15, 2016

However, this would be illegal, even if Kushner — Ivanka’s husband, and a multibillionaire real-estate mogul who also owns the New York Observer — does not take a salary. Jimmy Carter wasn’t even allowed to hire his son as an unpaid White House intern.

Of course, it’s not going to stop Donald Trump from attempting to appoint Kushner, and several Republicans are already attempting to normalize this level of nepotism.

“For goodness sake, JFK put his brother over at the Justice Department. It’s not like these things are new and unprecedented,” Rep. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican said, according to Politico.

Yeah. And that’s why there’s a law against it now, dumbass.

Some Trump surrogate on MSNBC just compared Jared Kushner to Alexander Hamilton.

Nothing matters.

— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) November 17, 2016

Also, per Lainey, our illustrious copy-editor: “I’m not really sure why you think it’s such a bad idea. I mean, when has it ever been an atrocious idea for a father and sons to work together?”