Staff Reports
President Joe Biden is once again basking in the sun—this time at the ranch of billionaire donor Joe Kiani, CEO of Masimo, a medical technology company. This choice of vacation spot raises more eyebrows than a conservative at a liberal arts college, especially considering the ethical dilemmas that shadowed Kiani’s appointment to a federal advisory board. It seems ethical concerns can take a back seat when it comes to mixing business with pleasure for the Biden family.
The Biden clan rolled into Kiani’s Santa Ynez, California ranch right after Biden’s farewell speech at the DNC convention, where he seamlessly tossed the political torch to Kamala Harris. It’s almost poetic that a president who pledged to restore integrity and transparency now finds solace at a billionaire’s playpen. The entire Biden family was in attendance—spouses, children, and enough grandchildren to form a small soccer team. Meanwhile, Kiani’s financial contributions to Biden’s political campaigns were likely toasting their arrival with a celebratory bottle of California’s finest.
Biden is waiting till after his vacation with Hunter at billionaire Tom Steyer's $18 million Lake Tahoe mansion to visit Maui. Because empathy. pic.twitter.com/RIs2foQeBv
— Prof Zenkus (@anthonyzenkus) August 20, 2023
To add to the head-scratching spectacle, House Republicans had previously raised concerns about the optics of politicians reaping benefits from their wealthy benefactors. It’s a problem that has been sweeping across Washington like a meme on social media, with Republicans noting the cozy relationship between Biden and Kiani. The letter from Congress even highlighted Kiani’s generous donations, which might as well have been hand-delivered in the form of a check to the White House. With over a million dollars dropped on Biden’s Foundation and political committees, one has to wonder if Kiani was hoping to get more than just the last piece of pie at the state dinner.
Speaking of state dinners, Biden rolled out the red carpet for Kiani at the December 2022 White House event featuring French President Emmanuel Macron. One can’t help but speculate if the conversations were more about business deals than Pastries au Chocolat. Moreover, it’s a delightful twist that Kiani’s company has pocketed nearly $3 million in federal contracts since Biden took office. Clearly, Kiani has mastered the art of political contributions, having cashed in on government contracts while enjoying the president’s generous hospitality.
The hypocrisy becomes even clearer when comparing Biden’s generous vacations with wealthy donors to the scrutiny faced by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas over less-than-transparent times with non-donor friends. Mark Paoletta, a former lawyer for Trump, summed it up perfectly by dubbing the situation a glaring ethical double standard. If Democrats can critique the ethics of Justice Thomas, it raises the question of why Biden and his entourage are allowed to swim in a pool filled with dollar bills without so much as a lifejacket of accountability.
With this trip, Biden has now tallied at least 17 vacations alongside wealthy campaign donors, raising more than a few eyebrows about his commitment to transparency. Amid promises of ethics reform, the image of a president lounging at the ranch of a generous benefactor while doling out contracts is a tough sell for anyone who believes in accountability. This episode in Biden’s leadership is just one more example of a government allegedly run on the foundation of “you scratch my back, I scratch yours.”
