The director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has been accused by subordinates of being a “prima donna” who has caused dysfunction in a small group of civil servants tasked with addressing America’s addiction and overdose epidemic, according to a report. It has been praised.
Several current and former ONDCP employees told Politico on Friday that the agency’s director, Dr. Rahul Gupta, fostered a “toxic” work environment, that the director’s focus led to high turnover and that critical deadlines were missed. He said he was blaming the fact that there was no such thing. About his “political aspirations” rather than the actual job he was hired for.
“Just because everyone left doesn’t mean everyone is the problem,” says a former ONDCP official. told the outletThe report notes that at least eight senior officials and several other staff members have resigned in recent months, largely because of Mr. Gupta.
“On some level, you might be the problem,” the former official added of Mr. Gupta.
The report said that throughout his tenure, Mr.
In one case, Biden administration officials canceled a trip he had been planning for months because he refused to fly Southwest Airlines.
At one point, Mr. Gupta measured the square footage of the room he had already booked and determined it was too small, so he asked the staff to give him another room at the hotel.
ONDCP chiefs will also insist on using government vehicles to attend events unrelated to office work, such as weekend embassy parties.
“I think he likes the benefits of the job. I think he likes the title, the ability to travel,” the former official said. “But I don’t know if he likes the work it takes to make this place meaningful.”
Mr. Gupta, a physician for more than 25 years and a former state health commissioner in West Virginia, does not support and rarely speaks to aides who work in his White House office who are recovering from substance use disorders. He was also criticized for not listening.
“The manager is creating a culture, but he was not supportive of my recovery,” the former official told the publication.
President Biden warned White House staff early in his tenure that if he heard of a colleague disparaging or belittling a colleague, he would fire them “on the spot.”
Current and former ONDCP officials who spoke to Politico argue that Mr. Gupta’s professional conduct is inconsistent with the 81-year-old president’s mission statement.
“Biden’s way of dealing with people is the complete opposite of what he has said he expects from his staff,” said a person with direct knowledge of the situation. “I think the reason everyone is afraid is because they fear retaliation.”
“We were hired to do a very specific job that was important to the American people, important to the Biden administration, and especially important as it relates to Hunter Biden,” the former official said, adding that his eldest son He mentioned a spectacular battle. addicted to cocaine.
“Anything you do to try to advance the actual administration’s agenda will be thwarted by the secretary’s political desires,” the former official lamented.
The White House did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Latest data It is estimated that more than 111,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States in the 12 months ending in September last year.
This is an increase from the estimated 109,000 deaths for the same period in 2022 and 105,000 deaths in 2021.
