President Joe Biden’s new press secretary is already facing criticism for conflicts of interest because of her long-term relationship with CNN reporter Suzanne Malveaux.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the first black and first openly gay person in her position, will take over next Friday.
She currently lives with Malveaux in Washington, D.C., with their 7-year-old daughter. Jean-Pierre spoke about their relationship in her 2019 memoir, “Moving Forward”.
“Most of all, I want to say that every word of this book was written with love for my partner, Suzanne Malveaux, and our daughter, Soleil Malveaux Jean-Pierre. You are my life,” she said.
Although she was celebrated for the new position, Jean-Pierre is being questioned on her impartiality, especially due to the scandals following CNN.
Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of Breitbart, tweeted “This is one of many examples of the corporate media LITERALLY in bed with the government it covers”.
Juwan Holmes, the associate editor of LGBTQ Nation, has spent the past two years following Jean-Pierre’s career and says “she’s the best person for the job”.
Despite his support, Holmes warned that her relationship might spark accusations. “I’m sure there won’t be Cuomo-level conflict of interest violations, but expect it to have it bought up in the future,” he said.
Jen Psaki was also criticized for conflicts of interest as it was announced that she was joining MSNBC.
“I have always gone over and above the stringent ethical and legal requirements of the Biden administration, and I take that very seriously,” Psaki said, insisting she had “complied with all ethics requirements and gone beyond and taken steps to recuse myself from the decisions as appropriate”.