U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 senior counselor Kellyanne Conway may have just broken a federal ethics rule after she publicly promoted Ivanka Trump鈥檚 fashion line during a televised interview on Thursday morning.

Speaking to the hosts of 鈥淔ox & Friends鈥� about U.S. department store Nordstrom dropping the Ivanka鈥檚 clothing and accessory line and public calls to boycott her products, Conway defended the president鈥檚 daughter. She described Ivanka as a 鈥渃hampion for women empowerment, women in the workplace鈥� before she made a direct appeal to her audience.

鈥淕o buy Ivanka鈥檚 stuff,鈥� Conway declared. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful line. I own some of it. I鈥檓 going to give a free commercial here, go buy it today everybody. You can find it online.鈥�

In response to the counselor鈥檚 comments, the ethics watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) (OGE) and White House Counsel鈥檚 Office on Thursday.

The group called on the offices to investigate 鈥渢his apparent violation of federal law, ethics regulations, and other standards of conduct鈥� and to take necessary disciplinary action.

鈥淭he law is clear that public officials should not use their offices for their own private gain or the private gain of others,鈥� CREW鈥檚 executive director, Noah Bookbinder, stated in a press release on Thursday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to find a clearer case of that kind of misuse of office than we saw today.鈥�

The president is not subject to ethics standards for federal employees, but Conway is, however. that an 鈥渆mployee shall not use his public office for his own private gain for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the personal gain of friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity.鈥�

In addition to CREW鈥檚 formal complaint, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Elijah Cummings, requested an ethics review of Conway鈥檚 comments for 鈥減otential disciplinary action.鈥�

, Cummings wrote that Conway鈥檚 televised pitch 鈥渁ppears to be a textbook violation of government ethics laws.鈥� He also recommended the Committee make an official referral to the OGE about whether Conway broke ethics laws because it has direct jurisdiction over White House employees.

Under a section of regulations called 鈥淐orrective Action Involving Individual Employees,鈥� the OGE can recommend disciplinary actions such as, suspension, loss of pay and even removal.

During a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, White House press secretary and communications director, Sean Spicer, would only say that Conway had been 鈥渃ounselled鈥� when he was asked about the Fox interview.

鈥淪he鈥檚 been counselled on that subject and that鈥檚 it,鈥� Spicer said.

The Conway controversy comes a day after Trump raised eyebrows by tweeting that his daughter had been treated 鈥渦nfairly鈥� by Nordstrom. Although the president has tweeted about other companies such as, Boeing, Carrier and General Motors in the past, the Nordstrom tweet has been viewed as a potential conflict of interest because it involves his daughter.

鈥淢y daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!鈥� the president wrote.

Trump鈥檚 tweet prompted his supporters to declare their support for Ivanka鈥檚 business by using the hashtag #BuyIvanka, which was trending on Wednesday.

 

 

Critics also made use of the hashtag, with at least one tweet highlighting the overseas origin of some of the brand鈥檚 products.

 

 

The Trump administration has faced repeated criticism for an apparent lack of concern over possible conflicts of interest over his personal business empire. In the complaint filed by CREW, Bookbinder called Conway鈥檚 comments another example of 鈥渁 disturbing pattern鈥� in Trump鈥檚 White House.

鈥淎mericans are unfortunately at the point where they have to question who the Trump administration is looking out for, the American people or the Trump family,鈥� Bookbinder said.