Jen Psaki Sent Spinning with Resignation Demand – Biden’s Press Secretary Has Conflict of Interest, Says Concha
The news came out last week that White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, may be leaving for a job at MSNBC. The woman had formerly worked at CNN. She appears to be leaving Biden for a job on the other network’s streaming service.
Psaki has long been criticized for her lack of transparency as White House Spox. She often dodged tough questions by “circling back” to them later (she never did). And she overstepped her bounds several times by getting into partisan battles with lawmakers (even other Democrats).
Now, she is facing an ethical charge—by members of the media.
From The Hill:
No one is saying that Psaki going back into cable news is wrong…
But Psaki should not stay on as White House press secretary one moment longer if she’s planning to go to a news organization that covers the administration. And several members of the White House press corps, to their credit, held Psaki’s feet to the fire on Friday when news broke of her plan to join the liberal network in May…
O’Keefe correctly followed: “Just because this has been raised by our colleagues, by people who are observing this process, is it ethical for you to continue to be conducting this job while negotiating with a media outlet?”
And now, even the DCCC is plugging Psaki’s move to MSNBC, so people are demanding she resigns immediately.
Reporters pressed Psaki over the news she was leaving the White House to work for MSNBC. For her to continue working for the administration, while angling for a new job, is unethical. It raises conflict of interest questions, just for starters.
How do we know she is not using her access to the White House to leverage a better deal? Or, perhaps as press secretary, she will be tempted to provide MSNBC special access to the White House?
The White House press secretary is supposed to be neutral to the media. Her job is to discuss the president’s work with members of the media. But we all know Psaki will soon be working for one network.
A network that is a rival to many others. Doesn’t that mean she should no longer be serving in this supposedly “neutral” job?
Psaki, as usual, refuses to respond. But calls for her to resign immediately are growing. Trump had several press secretaries during his first term. When they were ready to leave, they left immediately.
It wasn’t until months (or years) later did they get a job with a media outlet or another company. Why can’t Psaki—who once boasted the Biden administration was the “most transparent” in history—do the same?