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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,104 posts)
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 02:23 PM Feb 2021

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 Murthy’s 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 Corporation’s cruise lines, Airbnb’s 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 didn’t 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 Obama’s nominee — and four years after President Donald Trump abruptly fired him, shortly after taking office. Murthy’s 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 it’s unclear whether Democrats will raise the issue, despite repeatedly chastising Trump’s 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.
35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Biden's top doctor nominee made more than $2 million doing pandemic consulting, speeches (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Feb 2021 OP
Sounds like 'shit' to me; after all, elleng Feb 2021 #1
+++ agree. nt iluvtennis Feb 2021 #7
OK...how much was it again that Ivanka and Jared made off of doing nothing???? NotHardly Feb 2021 #15
ZACLY! elleng Feb 2021 #20
It's been Three Days Now Roy Rolling Feb 2021 #34
I don't see a problem with him, made some money (lots of it really) and gave good and SheilaAnn Feb 2021 #2
yup. The RW is just trying to stir up controversy when during the Con's failed term the swamp was onetexan Feb 2021 #9
Sounds like shit-stirring to me. 2naSalit Feb 2021 #3
Who the F cares? lettucebe Feb 2021 #4
Dr Murthy certainly seems to understand the business side of medicine in the US. mjvpi Feb 2021 #5
Tx electrical company is gouging customers and we are talking about this? I say leave him alone. LizBeth Feb 2021 #6
I trust Joe to pick the best people. Midnight Writer Feb 2021 #8
companies paid him because he's an expert. Biden picked him because he's an expert Orangepeel Feb 2021 #10
SO THE F#*K WHAT!!!! fantase56 Feb 2021 #11
I'm horrified a Democrat would make money off his expertise!!!!! Smelling salts, stat! Hekate Feb 2021 #12
Yikes! Bigredhunk Feb 2021 #13
I don't think its a problem. 3Hotdogs Feb 2021 #14
And if it was a few thousand dollars instead, it would mean nothing LiberalLovinLug Feb 2021 #16
If he was Rebl2 Feb 2021 #17
I do not see any problem offhand with his earning money for consulting as long as the cstanleytech Feb 2021 #18
No one would pay that much for consulting (yes, you're right, the headline is wrong) if he didn't... George II Feb 2021 #19
Were any of the speeches in Cancun? greenjar_01 Feb 2021 #21
It shouldn't be. Warpy Feb 2021 #22
Sounds like he is an expert. That's what we need. MineralMan Feb 2021 #23
WAPO posts his credentials, Good job! Demonaut Feb 2021 #24
Well, good for him jmowreader Feb 2021 #25
So? mcar Feb 2021 #26
Trump poses w Goya products on the president's desk FlyingPiggy Feb 2021 #27
K n R ! Thanks for posting! JoeOtterbein Feb 2021 #28
Don't care one way or the other, DeminPennswoods Feb 2021 #29
He's not allowed to earn a living? radius777 Feb 2021 #30
The Post has clearly taken sides here: against the Biden nominee RVN VET71 Feb 2021 #31
Typical right wing talking points. nt RandiFan1290 Feb 2021 #32
Funny, making money is only a problem when Dems do it. niyad Feb 2021 #33
I guess he has something in common with Hillary. murielm99 Feb 2021 #35

elleng

(130,153 posts)
1. Sounds like 'shit' to me; after all,
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 02:37 PM
Feb 2021

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?

Roy Rolling

(6,853 posts)
34. It's been Three Days Now
Sun Feb 21, 2021, 12:07 PM
Feb 2021

I still don’t 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 people’s 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.

onetexan

(12,994 posts)
9. yup. The RW is just trying to stir up controversy when during the Con's failed term the swamp was
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 03:37 PM
Feb 2021

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.

mjvpi

(1,384 posts)
5. Dr Murthy certainly seems to understand the business side of medicine in the US.
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 03:03 PM
Feb 2021

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 wouldn’t 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. He’s definitely taking a pay cut to go back into government.

Orangepeel

(13,933 posts)
10. companies paid him because he's an expert. Biden picked him because he's an expert
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 03:55 PM
Feb 2021

any evidence that he's NOT an expert? absent that, it's shit stirring

fantase56

(440 posts)
11. SO THE F#*K WHAT!!!!
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 04:03 PM
Feb 2021

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)
12. I'm horrified a Democrat would make money off his expertise!!!!! Smelling salts, stat!
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 04:36 PM
Feb 2021

Was he telling people to inject household bleach? Was he peddling a malaria drug he’d 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 don’t fall for it.

3Hotdogs

(12,209 posts)
14. I don't think its a problem.
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 04:52 PM
Feb 2021

Carnival, Airbb hired him to advise on how to prevent spread of the virus or how to overcome economic obstacles.

LiberalLovinLug

(14,154 posts)
16. And if it was a few thousand dollars instead, it would mean nothing
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 04:58 PM
Feb 2021

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)
17. If he was
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 05:29 PM
Feb 2021

doing consulting I don’t 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 aren’t doing something illegal or cheating people out of their money like some ex-president I know of.

cstanleytech

(26,080 posts)
18. I do not see any problem offhand with his earning money for consulting as long as the
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 06:08 PM
Feb 2021

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)
19. No one would pay that much for consulting (yes, you're right, the headline is wrong) if he didn't...
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 06:50 PM
Feb 2021

....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?

Warpy

(110,910 posts)
22. It shouldn't be.
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 08:14 PM
Feb 2021

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.

jmowreader

(50,453 posts)
25. Well, good for him
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 09:00 PM
Feb 2021

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.

FlyingPiggy

(3,373 posts)
27. Trump poses w Goya products on the president's desk
Sat Feb 20, 2021, 10:28 PM
Feb 2021

And the media wants to nitpick about this??!?!?!?!! The media, once again, can go fuck itself.

JoeOtterbein

(7,698 posts)
28. K n R ! Thanks for posting!
Sun Feb 21, 2021, 12:16 AM
Feb 2021

He deserves the position for this alone:

given strong conservative opposition to him on other grounds — such as his longtime advocacy of treating gun violence as a public health problem.


DeminPennswoods

(15,246 posts)
29. Don't care one way or the other,
Sun Feb 21, 2021, 01:02 AM
Feb 2021

but it's an example of the revolving door between government and private enterprise/business.

radius777

(3,624 posts)
30. He's not allowed to earn a living?
Sun Feb 21, 2021, 02:53 AM
Feb 2021

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)
31. The Post has clearly taken sides here: against the Biden nominee
Sun Feb 21, 2021, 09:00 AM
Feb 2021

But there’s 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. It’s the Democratic thing to do.

murielm99

(30,656 posts)
35. I guess he has something in common with Hillary.
Sun Feb 21, 2021, 02:09 PM
Feb 2021

People here, yes here on DU, had fits because she received speaking fees.

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