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Biden aides had ties to large tech companies, disclosures show

Published 03/21/2021, 05:32 PM
Updated 03/21/2021, 07:20 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Press briefing at the White House in Washington

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Press briefing at the White House in Washington

By Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Biden administration officials had previously undisclosed ties to large corporations including tech giants Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s Google and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), financial disclosures by the White House show.

According to the filings with the Office of Government Ethics, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan served on an advisory council for Microsoft from 2017 through May of last year. He was paid $45,000 last year, according to his disclosure, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

Sullivan, who oversees an interagency response to January's cyberattack on Microsoft's Exchange email software, holds between $50,000 and $100,000 of stock in both Microsoft and Alphabet and owns between $15,000 and $50,000 of Facebook stock, the disclosure shows.

The White House said in a statement on Sunday that officials such as Sullivan are "experienced government leaders whose past private sector experience is part of a broad and diverse skill set they bring to government service."

A White House official said Sullivan is not participating in decisions directly affecting Microsoft, has not had any contact with the company and is consulting with NSC lawyers to remain in compliance with ethics requirements.

The official said Sullivan is divesting himself of all of his stockholdings.

A Microsoft spokeswoman said "individuals from across the political spectrum offer ideas and advice on a variety of national policy issues" to the company.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki was paid at least $5,000 as a communications consultant for Lyft Inc (NASDAQ:LYFT). The White House official said the consulting involved writing a plan and occurred for about six months.

The disclosures were first reported by the Associated Press.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Press briefing at the White House in Washington

Key officials in the Trump administration had ties to Wall Street, the oil and gas industry and the real estate sector.

Latest comments

China believes American investors like these should be investing in Chinas tax base. It is inappropriate for Americans to invest in American companies.
Wealth is power, when using wealth to abuse the system, this is injustice and is a bullying to the public!
When money is involved, this is likely bad thing ! Yes!
I'm confused. So having business connections and experience is now a bad thing? Guess it was only okay when it was connections with the Russians.
So he loves big tech to help him win...
this is a joke he has less than a 1/4 mil of stock - remember all those rep. who dumped their entire portfolios after they we're briefed about covid last year while they lied directly to the public - lmao
That's just for public. You will find a huge amount behind scenes. Do not trust such report in corrupted country.
AZ 2020 election forensic audit underway. lets watch this whole "Biden show" getting reversed. or at least watching how the approval ratings sink to historic lows. though the poll puppeteers wouldnt allow that.
Lots of paranoid creatures trolling this stream. Go to bed. Sweet dreams
Who cares. Zoom paid no federal tax. The who system is rigged.
Reuters change from big tech to large tech since Big tech sounds negative.
Oh really... next youre going to tell me the biden family got half a billion from china for hunter and john kerrys kids “invesment” firm?
Wow i am shocked
The problem with the ties Biden aids have is that they are to companies that have been accused of censorship.  Also in some instances these companies have ties to organizations which aided the Democrats in other ways to get elected.  There are also ties in the Biden administration to Wall Street and other industries, just as the prior administration.  It's that the prior administration had fewer ties to industries that hold so much sway over public opinion.
Corrupted banana democracy. Burisma in motion.
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