WASHINGTON—President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for secretary of state took a high-dollar foray into international consulting and venture capital during the Trump administration, a career move that followed long years in public service in the White House, State Department and halls of Congress, according to financial disclosures released Thursday.
Tony Blinken, seen as likely to be confirmed as chief diplomat in January, is co-founder and managing partner at a consulting firm that includes’s national security team. The firm, WestExec Advisors LLC, paid him $1.2 million, not including an expected payment of between $250,000 and $500,000 for 2020, according to the disclosures, filed through the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
Meanwhile, Avril Haines, Mr. Biden’s selection for director of national intelligence, has an extensive résumé that includes consulting work with national-security data analysis company Palantir Technologies Inc. and WestExec Advisors, and as a fellow at the nonpartisan public policy research organization Brookings Institution. Ms. Haines has resigned from those posts and says she will recuse herself from all business with them for one year.
The disclosures demonstrate what has long been a pattern in Washington: Senior officials from one political party find private work in their areas of expertise during an administration led by a president from the other party, in this case President Trump’s Republican Party.
Making money as a private citizen is despicable and should disqualify him. He should live in poverty and not take advantage of “demand” economics. Rich guys should not be allowed in politics. WSJ.
Wow, the WSJ just published an article against captalism? Where's the article on white monolithic GOP and MAGATrumpers taking obscenely high tax dollar support in exchange for nothing to help their employees or the economy?
elwasson And according to the WSJ..that is a bad thing? Lol
elwasson Good for him.
1st - Sheep are Too Stupid to Ask Question! 2nd - Sheep are for Fur or Lamb Chops. So, it is Ok that 535 in Legislative & 9 in Judicial Branch, Media Bought and Paid for! Now you ack us to Unit under 2 Ass Clowns Biden / Harris. We The People will Not Roll Over.
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And?
Who cares? If you have an expertise, shouldn’t you be compensated for it?
The man made money prior to nomination. The horror 😱 Call me when his family is installed in the WH benefiting their businesses through their position.
/Where are Winken and Nod?
What’s the point? A smart man who’s opinion is valued made a nice living. Shall we talk, instead, about Cabinet members with no expertise who’ve grifted lavish money, like Price, Zinke, Ross, DeVos?
What does that even mean?
Of course he did. Tell us who didn’t and we have a better story.
has really fallen apart over the last 5-10 years. Do yourselves a favor and kill off the op-Ed section. Nobody reads your rag for opinions. Stick to the markets. You are trailing FT badly for good reason
And?
Oh my goodness, he took up consulting and venture capital?!?!
Capitalism
That is why these DEM's are doing politics ! Corruption !
so
Hahaha
Trump will soon be answering charges of rape and defamation by Summer Zervos and EJean Carroll.
Apparently, there is an unwritten rule that you won't be tapped for a Cabinet post until you have enriched yourself.* Seems that the ability to accumulate cash is preferred to the ability to accumulate qualifications. *source: 'My American Journey' by Colin Powell
Wait! Is this illegal, unethical?
Trump never released his tax returns. Trump has committed bank and tax fraud, Trump is financially compromised by Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Manhattan District Attorney hired a forensic accountant to probe his tax crimes. Trump has a undisclosed bank account in China. Crook
And the problem is what? He wasn’t holding a government job as a private citizen how about all the people in Congress and Ricky them selves including Trump and his family and they are working for us
So?
I think an Attorney General personally visiting owner Rupert Murdoch in his residence to deliver the dark lord's personal wishes in return for benefits disqualify any organization under his control, such as , to complain about anything related to ethics.
So, is this a crime Wall Street Journal?
And not only that— I bet he wears tan suits too!
Somewhat hypocritical of the Wall St Journal to criticize Joe Biden's cabinet nominees for making money!
As he should given his resume.
Once again, so what? Did he break any laws? Was he supposed to be psychic and would have known Joe would win the election and nominate him for SoS, so should not have taken the job? How about investigating someone who isn’t being transparent about their finances, like Ivanka.
So? And?
Good for Mr. Blinken. So now the suddenly has an issue with market driven compensation levels ?
And? Wasn’t that entire of appeal of realDonaldTrump? Also, Tillerson was CEO of exxonmobil. Lastly, if the intimation is conflict of interest, maybe cover shadow Sec State and jack-of-all-trades jaredkushner? Qatar/Brookfield and Israeli bond offerings are starting points.
Now do literally anyone ever in the Trump administration 🙄
So?
It’s good that they disclosed everything. We don’t need to keep guessing like going after Trump’s tax returns.
Would you have reported this if he was a man?
aka he did capitalism
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So, what does this mean? That he's a financial whiz? He's done something that isn't kosher like which politician?
Good for him. I think they call that 'capitalism.'
Lol this all seems like comedy after the last 4 years.
The little guy on the left Looks like a puppet
AKA A Crook