Biden's top doctor nominee made more than $2 million doing pandemic consulting, speeches
Last edited Sat Feb 20, 2021, 03:21 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Washington Post
As Vivek H. Murthy advised Joe Biden on the pandemic during the 2020 presidential campaign, culminating in Murthys nomination as surgeon general, he also maintained a lucrative side business: coronavirus consultant to the private sector.
Murthy was paid millions of dollars last year in coronavirus-related consulting for Carnival Corporations cruise lines, Airbnbs rental properties and other firms, in addition to collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking fees from dozens of organizations, according to ethics documents that Murthy filed this month. The disclosure caught the attention of longtime health policy hands saying that Murthy has the most financial entanglements of any surgeon general pick in recent history and of watchdogs who raise questions about how credible he would be as a spokesperson on the pandemic response and presidential adviser.
We didnt have a full window into how enmeshed he was in the selling-advice process, said Jeff Hauser, who leads the Revolving Door Project, part of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a progressive think tank. There are large questions in the minds of the public about the health and safety risks that might exist in areas like the cruise industry, and we want the surgeon general to give people completely impartial advice.
Murthy, whose Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday, is expected to narrowly win confirmation to return to the role of surgeon general, six years after his first grueling confirmation battle as President Barack Obamas nominee and four years after President Donald Trump abruptly fired him, shortly after taking office. Murthys financial disclosures could complicate his candidacy given strong conservative opposition to him on other grounds such as his longtime advocacy of treating gun violence as a public health problem. But Republicans have thus far stayed away from his finances and its unclear whether Democrats will raise the issue, despite repeatedly chastising Trumps health nominees for their corporate ties.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/bidens-top-doctor-nominee-made-more-than-dollar2-million-doing-pandemic-consulting-speeches/ar-BB1dRldi?li=BBnb7Kz
When one reads the article one finds out the headline is a bit inaccurate. It was consulating not speeches where he was paid millions of dollars.
Is this a problem? I don't know. Is there a conflict of interest or is the media trying to stir shit up?
Guess I'm mostly concerned with getting someone competent in that position especially after the Trump kakistocracy.
elleng
(130,153 posts)he is a valuable consultant because he knows what he's doing, so people pay for that, Pre-POTUS and POTUS; are experienced people supposed NOT to work?
iluvtennis
(19,757 posts)NotHardly
(1,062 posts)elleng
(130,153 posts)Roy Rolling
(6,853 posts)I still dont get it. Should Biden have required nominees sign a pledge of poverty two years before him being elected and nominating people?
Should only people behind on their mortgage be considered for the cabinet? Or have debt magically disappear like Brett Kavanaugh?
I guess whoever wrote this story is hoping peoples anger will overshadow their logic and reason. Stoking anger is the whole right-wing whine-o-sphere purpose. And then collecting advertising revenue running commercials around the faux outrage.
SheilaAnn
(9,664 posts)accurate predictions.
onetexan
(12,994 posts)frought with controversy every day. There were wealthy ppl who knew nothing about government and governing - Tillerson, Mnuchin, and that horrendous deVos to name a few.
2naSalit
(86,057 posts)lettucebe
(2,336 posts)Are dems supposed to all be broke and homeless else they are somehow sketchy?
mjvpi
(1,384 posts)One thing that struck me as I read the article was that If the Trump administration had done it's job during the pandemic and provided science based best practices for the tourist industry, the need for a "rock star" gold stamp of approval wouldnt have existed. As a consumer, I would hope that Air BNB and Carnival Cruise Lines invest in safety. Their brands now hinge on safety. Taking stock options was a brilliant move financially. Hes definitely taking a pay cut to go back into government.
LizBeth
(9,946 posts)Midnight Writer
(21,548 posts)Give him a chance. If it doesn't work out, make adjustments.
Orangepeel
(13,933 posts)any evidence that he's NOT an expert? absent that, it's shit stirring
fantase56
(440 posts)pardon me for yelling - - it is the media stirring up things. they never find the time or courage to cover real news when the republicans are running the show, like children in cages, pandemics, looting the treasury and handing out tax breaks for billionaires, etc. ad infinitum. when the democrats take charge and they cover everything from a wristwatch to the presidents family pooch looking scruffy. i'm totally sick of it
Hekate
(90,193 posts)Was he telling people to inject household bleach? Was he peddling a malaria drug hed bought stock in? Was he, in other words, behaving like a grifting Republican?
No?
Then this is a hit job on a Biden nominee. Expect more of it, and dont fall for it.
Bigredhunk
(1,346 posts)PAID SPEECHES!! How awful!! Next thing you know we'll get to read all his e-mailed recipes.
JFC.
3Hotdogs
(12,209 posts)Carnival, Airbb hired him to advise on how to prevent spread of the virus or how to overcome economic obstacles.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,154 posts)Just because of the amount, Republicans and conservative media hosts, think they have some "scandal".
And its so disingenuous its sickening. All other moments they are praising wealth, greed is good, don't punish the "job creators".
They think they can use some preconceived notion that Democratic voters hate money. Or that they don't believe in making more than survival money. Get Woke...Go Broke. And that Democrats will be shocked and stoke infighting by highlighting his consulting fees. Sorry, not this time
Why is this even a story?
Rebl2
(13,311 posts)doing consulting I dont see the problem. Usually when people leave the a White House position or surgeon general in this case, they usually go find other work. As long as they arent doing something illegal or cheating people out of their money like some ex-president I know of.
cstanleytech
(26,080 posts)part of the federal government he is over that does business with those he was paid by is checked over by someone else to make sure any deal is on the up and up.
George II
(67,782 posts)....know what he was doing.
I guess to some (not you), you don't qualify for Biden's administration if you earn money AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN.
Only about $500k was made making speeches, and there were almost 40 of those, so about $12k per speech?
greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)Warpy
(110,910 posts)He was Surgeon General 2014-2017. I don't honestly think consulting work after 2017 can hurt him, he had to make a living and at least he wasn't a lobbyist for the Sackler family or something.
The media are trying to stir shit up, it's all about ratings. This looks like a tempest in a teapot to me.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)Demonaut
(8,909 posts)jmowreader
(50,453 posts)The last I checked, during the 2020 election both Joe Biden and Vivek Murthy were private sector individuals. As long as he pledges to not do private-sector consulting for pay while he's surgeon general, this shouldn't be a problem.
On the other hand, if he was working for Trump he'd probably be required to accept lucrative under-the-table side gigs just to fit in.
mcar
(42,210 posts)FlyingPiggy
(3,373 posts)And the media wants to nitpick about this??!?!?!?!! The media, once again, can go fuck itself.
JoeOtterbein
(7,698 posts)He deserves the position for this alone:
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)but it's an example of the revolving door between government and private enterprise/business.
radius777
(3,624 posts)He was a private citizen being paid for his expertise and insight - last time I checked that was called capitalism.
Murthy is a highly respected person who has demonstrated integrity in his past gov't service, and I don't see why his confirmation should be a problem.
RVN VET71
(2,686 posts)But theres no there there. He made money during the pandemic consulting about its impact. This could be bad, I suppose, but the Post seems not to have evidence of it. The Post has innuendos.
Personally, unless the guy advised companies and plutocratic enterprises on ways to ignore the pandemic and put customers and clients at risk, I see nothing here but fodder for the GOP to munch on during the confirmation process. But, given the empty scandal the Post has rushed to its pages, Biden may well withdraw his nomination. Its the Democratic thing to do.
RandiFan1290
(6,206 posts)niyad
(112,435 posts)murielm99
(30,656 posts)People here, yes here on DU, had fits because she received speaking fees.