Biden Admin Suffers Major Embarrassment As Top Science Advisor Resigns Over Staff Mistreatment

Joe Biden’s top science advisor, Dr. Eric Lander, resigned today following an internal investigation that revealed that he mistreated staff.

According to the Associated Press, press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden accepted Lander’s resignation with “gratitude for his work at OTSP (Office of Science and Technology Policy) on the pandemic, the Cancer Moonshot, climate change, and other key priorities.”

Lander was rebuked by the White House following the investigation, but they initially signaled today that he would be allowed to remain on the job.

That, despite Biden’s day-one assertion that he expected “honesty and decency” from all who worked for his administration and would fire anyone who shows disrespect to others “on the spot.”

In his resignation letter, Lander said, “I am devastated that I caused hurt to past and present colleagues by the way in which I have spoken to them.”

Lander was nominated by Biden as Science Advisor to the President and he announced that he would elevate the position to a Cabinet-level post.

The nomination process was anything but smooth as it had possibly been held up due to requests for clarification about his having attended two gatherings where Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy large-scale donor to science who was also a convicted sex offender, was present. 

Ultimately, a confirmation hearing was held in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 29, and on May 20, the committee voted to report favorably on the nomination, although five Republican senators voted against it.

On May 28, 2021, before a Memorial Day recess, his nomination was confirmed by voice vote by the full Senate and he was sworn in as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on June 2, 2021.

Many accused Donald Trump of having a tumultuous presidency with his cabinet picks but this one certainly won’t reflect well on Biden’s tenure.