Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner taking steps to serve as White House senior adviser

(CBS) — Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is taking steps to serve in a Trump White House as a “senior adviser,” CBS News confirmed Monday.

Kushner’s lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, a partner at WilmerHale, said in a statement to CBS News that plans were not yet final, but Kushner and his legal team are working out his compliance with ethics laws.

“Mr. Kushner is committed to complying with federal ethics laws and we have been consulting with the Office of Government Ethics regarding the steps he would take,” Gorelick, a former Clinton administration Justice Department lawyer, wrote. “Although plans are not finalized, Mr. Kushner would resign from his position at Kushner Companies and divest substantial assets in accordance with federal guidelines. He would recuse from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests. He would also abide by federal rules requiring impartiality in particular matters involving specific parties.”

Axios’ Mike Allen first reported on Kushner’s West Wing job and said that he’s already seeking applicants for his staff.

Kushner, who will be 36 years old Tuesday and is married to Ivanka Trump, has emerged as one of his closest advisers and confidants both during the campaign and the transition period. Since Mr. Trump’s election, Kushner has participated with high-level meetings with the president-elect and other business and world leaders, and he accompanied Mr. Trump to the White House to meet with President Obama after the election. He also worked with tech investor Peter Thiel to set up Mr. Trump’s meeting with tech leaders in December.

The president-elect was asked by reporters Monday about his son-in-law’s role in his administration, but he declined to answer, saying only, “We’ll talk about that on Wednesday,” which is when he is scheduled to hold his first news conference as president-elect.