Trump adviser Conway draws ethics complaints for touting Ivanka Trump products

The non-profit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and Public Citizen filed complaints with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and the White House Counsel's Office.

"It's a violation of the rule," Norman Eisen, who served as an ethics adviser to Democratic President Barack Obama, told MSNBC. "It's a serious matter."

The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Elijah Cummings, called on the committee to refer the matter to the OGE for potential disciplinary action.

The OGE did not respond to requests for comment.

Chaffetz said that he and Cummings were going to send a joint letter to the White House and the OGE, according to a tweet by NBC News' Capitol Hill producer.

"That was wrong, wrong, wrong. It is wholly unacceptable no if, ands or buts about it," Chaffetz said of Conway's comments, according to the NBC producer.

NBC reported that Chaffetz said, "It should have never happened and they better learn this lesson very quick." He said he was not sure what the remedy was or if his committee would have a hearing looking into the matter, but this letter and referral "is a first step."

Asked at a press briefing on Thursday if Conway had crossed an ethical line, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said, "She has been counseled on that subject, and that's it."

Ivanka Trump had said she would step away from her company when her father took office in the White House.

President Trump has pledged to ensure that products sold in America are actually manufactured on US soil, but a New York Times report in December found that many of Ivanka Trump branded products were made in China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Ivanka Trump's company declined to comment where her goods were manufactured.