WASHINGTON – Several members of President Biden’s White House have connections with companies that have strong interests in government positions on cybersecurity, antitrust and other policies, new federal revelations show.
Among the companies included in the financial data released Saturday to some senior White House employees are Microsoft Corp., which is working with the administration on the fallout from two major cyber attacks in recent months, and Facebook Inc., that is facing a federal antitrust case. and conference research on how it moderates the content on its platform.
The revelations, which the White House has made available through an online portal upon request, detail staff and their spouses’ net worth, equity portfolios, income, nongovernment positions and debt for 2020 through when they reach the government this year came.
Some of the ties may provide an early test of how the Biden administration interprets its ethical pledge, which states that appointees commit themselves not to participate in any matter “ involving specific parties directly and substantially related to my former employer ” or former customers, including regulations and contracts. As of Saturday, the White House said that the government’s ethical pledge for White House staff has not been renounced.
It is not uncommon for senior government officials to have affiliation with prominent companies as every modern government has pulled out of the private sector to fill top positions. President Donald Trump’s first crop of White House advisers and cabinet officials hailed from the oil industry, Wall Street, and his personal real estate and licensing businesses, among others.