President Biden wants to establish an enforceable ethics code for Supreme Court justices, but the lame-duck president has faced criticism over his own apparent conflicts of interest, including his ties to his friend, billionaire donor Joe Kiani.
After speaking at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Biden and his family flew to Santa Ynez, California, to vacation at Kiani’s ranch-style mansion, where the first family is reportedly staying for free, according to a White House official who described Kiani as a “friend.” New York Post.
House Republicans who have questioned the relationship say Kiani has donated nearly $3 million to Biden’s super PAC, foundation and inaugural committee. Meanwhile, in September 2021, Kiani was appointed by Biden to his Science and Technology Advisory Council, which advises the executive branch on policy issues related to Kiani’s medical technology business, Masimo. Masimo has received nearly $3 million in federal contracts since Biden took office in January 2021, Republicans said.
In addition to the appointment, Kiani received a ticket from Biden to attend a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022. The ticket gave the billionaire CEO access to transatlantic business figures and other global elites, according to the Post.
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News of the First Family’s vacation at Kiani’s ranch comes amid Democratic efforts to reform the Supreme Court, including enforceable ethics rules and term limits for judges — efforts fueled in large part by Justice Clarence Thomas’ ties to Republican donor Harlan Crow.
Thomas, who describes Crowe as one of the family’s “closest friends,” has come under fire from critics for vacationing with him and accepting gifts from him.
President Biden and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (Getty Images)
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The Office of Government Ethics, which oversees ethics for the executive branch, declined to comment, telling Fox News Digital that it “does not discuss specific individuals or situations.”
“This is yet another attack by an administration that touts itself as the most ethical and transparent administration in history,” said Michael Chamberlain, president of the conservative nonprofit group Protect the Public’s Trust.
“The Biden-Harris EPA has already distributed billions of dollars in Green Dawg money to organizations with ties to the administration and its political allies. Now we have these kinds of deals with donors who have business with the government. This is how things seem to be run with this administration.”
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In April 2022, a team of 12 House Republicans I wrote a letter The letter, addressed to Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, raised concerns about Biden’s relationship with Kiani, saying, “We want to be assured that political contributions have not improperly influenced the administration’s management of contracts and loans.”
While Kiani’s relationship with Biden has been attracting attention, so too has Biden’s relationships with other prominent Democratic Party figures.
A year ago, billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer opened his Lake Tahoe mansion to the Biden family. Steyer runs a green energy investment fund that is trying to “leverage” federal climate spending provided by Biden’s Inflation Control Act.
Tom Steyer speaks onstage at the 2024 Time Earth Awards Gala on April 24, 2024 in New York City. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images via TIME)
The conservative nonprofit Center for American Renewal filed an ethics complaint with the Justice Department in April, asking it to investigate Biden for “serious ethical lapses” in disclosing unpaid time off that appeared to fall under certain exemptions in the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA). The complaint listed at least four questionable vacations taken by Biden and his family, including a trip to Lake Tahoe.
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Other trips mentioned in the complaint include a trip to Democratic donor Maria Alwyn’s coastal South Carolina estate and a stay on Nantucket Island with a private equity founder. David Rubenstein’s A $39 million mansion and New Year’s getaway to Bill and Connie Neville’s private estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to the lawsuit, the Nevilles were invited to a state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping when they first began living together in 2015. Additionally, in December 2022, the same year that Biden stayed at the residence, the Nevilles were guests of the White House and attended a state dinner with President Macron.
President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and grandchildren Natalie and Robert pose for a selfie before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, December 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnick)
Kendra Arnold, executive director of the nonprofit Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, said Biden’s visit to Kiani’s house “reinforces the commonly held belief that individuals who give large amounts of money to politicians are rewarded with expanded access and perks not available to others.”
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“Where there are clearly circular interests, as in this case, it is difficult to believe that at the very least, expanded access would not be allowed,” Arnold concluded. “As a rule of thumb, our elected officials are encouraged to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, but in this case, President Biden has clearly failed to meet that obligation.”
