Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has drawn sharp criticism and complaints over the ethics of using her position to promote the clothing line of President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, one day after Mr Trump attacked a retailer for dropping it.

Key points: Conway told Fox's audience to buy Ivanka's products and that she would too

Conway told Fox's audience to buy Ivanka's products and that she would too Complaints have been filed with the Office of Government Ethics

Complaints have been filed with the Office of Government Ethics A #GrabYourWallet campaign encourages shoppers to boycott Ivanka products

Federal ethics rules prohibit executive branch employees from using their positions to endorse products or for the private gain of friends.

"Go buy Ivanka's stuff … I'm going to go get some myself today," Ms Conway told Fox News in an interview from the White House.

"I'm going to give a free commercial here: Go buy it today, everybody."

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 White House and the OGE did not respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee's chairman Jason Chaffetz called the promotion "wrong, wrong, wrong, clearly over the line" and "unacceptable".

Campaigns launch in support, boycott of Ivanka products

Sorry, this video has expired Trump blasts department store Nordstrom for dropping Ivanka's line.

On Wednesday, President Trump attacked department store chain Nordstrom Inc for dropping his daughter's products, drawing intense criticism for using a White House twitter platform to intervene in a commercial matter involving his family's business ties.

"My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!" Mr Trump tweeted.

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

An ongoing campaign called #GrabYourWallet encourages shoppers to boycott products with ties to President Trump and his family — supporters have launched an alternative social media campaign called #BuyIvanka.

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

Reuters/AP