Obama Admin Ethics Chief Slams Biden Over Hunter’s Forthcoming Book
Comments from President Joe Biden praising the forthcoming book from his son, Hunter, were ruled out of line by a former White House ethics czar. Walter Shaub, who was director of the Office of Government Ethics under…
Comments from President Joe Biden praising the forthcoming book from his son, Hunter, were ruled out of line by a former White House ethics czar.
Walter Shaub, who was director of the Office of Government Ethics under former President Barack Obama, tweeted and then deleted his criticism of Biden, according to the Washington Examiner.
“It is not acceptable for the President of the United States to be part of the book promotion tour. No,” he wrote.
Shaub said it was “wonderful” that Hunter Biden was sharing his story but added that his father’s comments were inappropriate.
The Examiner said Shaub issued other tweets about the book that have since been deleted.
Shaub worked under Obama in the Office of Government Ethics from 2013 to 2017.
He didn’t directly explain why his tweets were deleted but said in a post Monday, “This is not a serious forum for debating serious ideas. It’s writing on a bathroom stall, and getting into arguments here is like writing responses to that graffiti.”
During an interview with CBS prior to Sunday’s Super Bowl, Biden commented on his son’s book.
“The honesty with which he stepped forward and talked about the problem, and the hope that — it gave me hope reading it. I mean, it was like, ‘My boy’s back.’ You know what I mean? Anyway, I’m sorry to get so personal,” the president said.
Hunter Biden’s book, “Beautiful Things,” will be published in April.
Last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki issued a statement from the president and first lady Jill Biden concerning the book.
“We admire our son Hunter’s strength and courage to talk openly about his addiction so that others may see themselves in his journey and find hope,” Psaki said, according to Fox News. “This is a personal book about his own personal journey.”
Hunter Biden is under federal investigation for what has been called a tax issue.
Prior to his father’s election, Hunter Biden’s business dealings with Ukraine and China were the focus of congressional investigations.
The Biden administration recently appointed Nicholas McQuaid — whom Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa characterized as the law partner of Hunter Biden’s defense attorney — as acting chief of the Justice Department’s criminal division.
That led Grassley and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin to express concerns.
“he arrangement has created, at a minimum, an appearance of a conflict of interest potentially in violation of DOJ ethics guidance,” Grassley said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.