After serving the White House for little more than a year, press secretary Jen Psaki is calling it quits. The news leaked earlier this month that Psaki will be leaving the Biden administration to host a new show on MSNBC’s streaming service. This will end what has been far from a storied time at the White House.
But members of the media have been shocked at this revelation. Apparently, Psaki’s manager has been negotiating for this job for a while, now. That means, the White House representative has been trying to get a job at a private media company, while still pretending to protect the interests of the presidency. Some within the media have called for Psaki to immediately resign, citing this obvious conflict of interest.
And now, a watchdog group is calling for an investigation.
A federal watchdog group is calling for an investigation into possible ethics violations by White House press secretary Jen Psaki, saying she appears not to be following federal requirements for negotiation to leave her Biden administration job for a private-sector one in the news media industry…
The group said that despite the reporting and recusal requirements for federal employees while negotiations for outside employment, as well as Psaki’s own statements regarding those obligations, she “does not appear to have altered her behavior with respect to either her prospective employer or its competitors.”
The group also says Psaki’s statements and actions amid widespread media reports about a departure, appear inconsistent with her own promise to set “an example of engagement and transparency.” [Source: Just the News]
It’s highly unusual for someone working in government to be brokering for another job, while still working in government. Most of the time, someone leaves their post in government before looking for a new job. That even includes elected officials, who take new jobs after they leave public office.
Yet we all know that Psaki is planning on leaving this job, while still working at this job. This is hardly a simple “put in your two weeks” situation. Psaki has access to the President of the United States. As a spokesperson for the White House, she is supposed to treat news outlets with a certain level of neutrality.
Does anyone believe she is being neutral when she will soon take a job with MSNBC? Which is, of course, a rival company to CNN, Fox News, ABC, and CBS (and a host of other outlets)? Why is Psaki allowed to engage in this conflict of interest? Why isn’t anyone in the administration asking her to step down?
And how much of her job right now is being influenced by her future gig?
It seems more than one investigation should be launched.
Author: Mac Davis
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