A watchdog group has demanded that the federal government investigate whether White House press secretary Jen Psaki violated ethical obligations as she was reportedly being tapped to work at MSNBC.
Psaki and the White House have declined to confirm reports that she signed a contract to join the left-wing cable news network after she departs her position as the Biden administration’s chief spokesperson.
Now, watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust said that “concerns about conflicts of interest when seeking new employment are not new, and the federal government has strict laws and regulations governing how employees conduct themselves.”
“Under federal law, it is a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison to willfully participate in any ‘particular matter’ in which an organization an employee is negotiating or has an arrangement regarding future employment has a financial interest,” the group said in a letter (pdf) to the White House, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, and the Department of Justice on Monday.
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