Biden Team Crumbles Further, Top Dog is OUT

Biden Team Crumbles Further, Top Dog is OUT

One of the top members of Joe Biden’s cabinet has resigned from his post after an internal White House investigation found that he had mistreated his staff.

Eric Lander, a top biologist and genome-sequencing pioneer, has resigned as Joe Biden’s science adviser after it was revealed that he had “bullied” one woman in his office and spoke to others in a “demeaning or abrasive” way.

A two-month internal White House investigation into Lander’s behavior towards his staff at the Office of Science and Technology Policy uncovered these behaviors, according to reporting by Politico.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki made an announcement about Lander’s resignation on the evening of February 7th, stating: “The President accepted Dr. Eric Lander’s resignation letter this evening with gratitude for his work at OSTP on the pandemic, the Cancer Moonshot, climate change, and other key priorities. He knows that Dr. Lander will continue to make important contributions to the scientific community in the years ahead.”

In a desperate attempt to get ahead of the scandal and avoid losing his job, Lander sent out an email to his colleagues on February 4th, apologizing for his behavior.

“I am deeply sorry for my conduct. I especially want to apologize to those of you who I treated poorly or were present at the time,” he wrote. “It’s my responsibility to set a respectful tone for our community. It’s clear that I have not lived up to this responsibility. I have spoken to colleagues within OSTP in a disrespectful or demeaning way.”

Unfortunately for him, the outcry from within the White House, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the science community in general became to overwhelming, leading to the push for him to step down.

On the morning of February 7th, the American Association for the Advancement of Science canceled plans for Lander to speak at its annual meeting, which is a major event on the scientific community’s calendar.

“AAAS is disappointed to learn about a White House investigation that reportedly found Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Eric Lander is not conducting himself in a manner befitting a scientist or scientific leader — much less a cabinet-level leader in the administration,” the organization said in a statement.

While Lander is out, GOP Senator Mike Braun says that’s not enough. The Republican senator is calling for “term limits” for White House aides.

In a report targeting the “swamp,” Braun is calling for the immediate firing of 19 members of Biden’s staff, especially White House chief of staff Ron Klain.

“This report is about them: the permanent political class who keep rearing their heads year after year. This cycle of incompetence in the federal government has made us all into Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, forced to relive the same day over and over,” the Republican wrote.

“It isn’t just career politicians dragging D.C. deeper and deeper into the swamp. It’s also a club of insiders that float from administration to administration, bringing their bad ideas and lobbyist connections with them through the revolving door,” Braun said in his 63-page report.

“I know from experience: Your operation is only as good as the people you hire. That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised by the poor product we get out of Washington. They keep hiring the same people and expecting different results,” he added.

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