IVANKA: “Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s eldest daughter and a top White House adviser, is shutting down her namesake fashion brand more than a year after stepping away from the company. A spokesman for Ms. Trump’s brand confirmed on Tuesday [7-24-18] that the process of winding down the company would begin immediately, that the brand’s licensing deals would not be renewed and that employees would depart in the coming weeks…Since Mr. Trump won the presidential election in 2016, members of his family have faced continuing criticism that they are exploiting his position to promote their own personal interests. Ms. Trump has been a particular target of that criticism, and resigned from the day-to-day operations of the company last year, partly to try to address concerns that her role as a presidential adviser created conflicts of interest. Although Ms. Trump took steps to separate herself from the company’s management, she retained a financial interest in the business through a trust. Her financial disclosures filings show that she earned more than $5 million from that entity last year.”
-Rachel Abrams, “Ivanka Trump Shuts Down Namesake Fashion Brand,” The New York Times online, July 24, 2018