Ivanka Trump posted a photo posing with Goya beans as people called for a boycott — but it may have violated government ethics rules

• Ivanka Trump shared a picture of herself with a can of Goya beans, along with the company's slogan.
• She did so after the Hispanic-owned company faced a backlash for its CEO praising President Donald Trump, prompting leading conservatives to urge people to buy its products.
• Reuters noted that the post might have violated government ethics rules, which prohibit those in public office from endorsing products.
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to Ivanka Trump's tweet, writing in Spanish. The play on Goya's slogan said: "If it's Trump, it has to be corrupt."

Ivanka Trump posted a photo of herself posing with a can of Goya beans as people called for a boycott of the brand, but she may have violated government ethics rules by doing so.

Trump, who is President Donald Trump's daughter and White House adviser, posted a picture of herself posing with the beans on Twitter on Tuesday.

She added Goya's slogan as a caption, posting in both English and Spanish, "If it's Goya, it has to be good."

—Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) July 15, 2020

Goya Foods describes itself as the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the US.

It faced backlash last week after its CEO, Robert Unanue, praised the president, saying the US was "truly blessed" to have him as a leader.

Some people pledged to boycott the brand, while others, in a campaign led by Fox News personalities, pledged to buy more of its products in response.

Ivanka Trump's tweet had received more than 39,000 retweets and more than 73,000 likes as of early Wednesday morning. She also shared the image on Instagram and Facebook.

But as Reuters noted, the post may have violated government ethics rules, which prohibit those in public office from endorsing products.

The US Department of Justice says "an employee may not use his public office for his own private gain or for that of persons or organizations with which he is associated personally."

Also: "An employee's position or title should not be used to coerce; to endorse any product, service or enterprise; or to give the appearance of governmental sanction."

Ivanka Trump is listed on the White House website as "Advisor to the President."

The US Office of Government Ethics did not respond to Reuters' request for comment about the posts.

The elder Trump backed the company on Friday, tweeting: "I LOVE @GoyaFoods!"

—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2020

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York responded to Ivanka Trump's tweet, writing in Spanish: "If it's Trump, it has to be corrupt."

—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 15, 2020