Melania Trump has filed a £120m lawsuit against the Daily Mail for reporting rumours that she worked as a high-end escort in the 1990s. The newspaper has since said it did not intend to imply that the allegations were true.
The First Lady says the article has hurt her chances of establishing "multimillion-dollar business relationships" for the years in which she will be "one of the most photographed women in the world".
The filing has raised concerns among ethics watchdogs that Trump appears to be trying to profit from a high-profile position that is usually focused on public service.
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Scott Amey, general counsel of the Washington watchdog Project on Government Oversight, said her ongoing enterprises are "another example of the First Family blurring the line between public service and private business interests".
Norman Eisen, once chief ethics counsellor to Barack Obama, said: "The Trumps are using the White House like the Kardashians used reality TV - to build and vastly expand their overall business enterprises."
What led to the lawsuit?
An article that appeared in the Daily Mail's print and web editions suggested Trump might "have worked as a part-time escort in New York" and said she had "met husband Donald Trump… earlier than previously reported", the BBC says.
"The defendant made several statements about Mrs Trump that are 100 per cent false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," Trump's lawyer, Charles Harder, said.
The Daily Mail has published a retraction of the story, both in print and online, saying the article "did not intend to state or suggest that these allegations are true, nor did it intend to state or suggest that Mrs Trump ever worked as an 'escort' or in the 'sex business'", and defended its decision to run the story.
Is Melania behaving unethically?
Richard Painter, who advised former president George W Bush on ethics, said the lawsuit's language suggests the First Lady is engaging "in an unprecedented, clear breach of rules about using her government position for private gain".
Anne MacDonald, who was chief of staff for Laura Bush, said: "Former first ladies have not typically made money through endorsement deals, but of course we're not dealing with a typical first lady."
However, Trump's lawyer Harder has said the filing is being misreported. "The First Lady has no intention of using her position for profit and will not do so," he said. "It is not a possibility. Any statements to the contrary are being misinterpreted."
