Trump's son-in-law name cleared to serve as senior White House adviser

United States President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's name has been cleared by the Justice Department to serve in the White House.

A 14-page opinion issued by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel said that appointment of Kushner as a senior White House adviser does not violate federal anti-nepotism laws.

Government lawyers said that the special hiring authority exempted White House positions from federal laws barring the president from appointing relatives to lead federal agencies, reports The New York Times.

Kushner's appointment was questioned on the basis of a 1967 anti-nepotism law, but his lawyer has asserted that the appointment was legal.

The Justice Department's opinion approved Kushner's name by citing a subsequent 1978 law that gives the president the authority to appoint White House staff members without regard to other laws restricting employment and compensation of federal employees.

The 35-year-old businessman-turned-political strategist played a key part in his father-in-law's presidential campaign and his new position is expected to test the limit of federal anti-nepotism rules.