Waste of the day: Biden’s White House lawyers up
45 on staff at a taxpayer cost of $6.3 million
Topline: Almost one in every 12 staffers at the White House this year is a lawyer, according to payroll data analyzed by auditors at OpenTheBooks.com. President Joseph Biden employs 45 attorneys, making a collective $6.3 million in salary.
Donald Trump had 30 lawyers in his final year as president, and Barack Obama employed 34 lawyers before leaving office.
Key facts: This years’ White House payroll includes attorneys with varying titles: “senior deputy associate counsel,” “senior ethics counsel” and similar variations.
There are seven other staffers that assist the White House counsel’s office, such as the “advisor to the White House deputy counsel” and a communications specialist.
The most highly compensated White House employee besides Biden himself is associate counsel Michelle Barrans, who is making over $251,000 this year. All of the other full-time lawyers make between $110,000 and $191,000.
The most expensive attorney on Trump’s White House payroll made only $180,000 — though since leaving office, Trump has spent over $100 million fighting personal legal battles.
Senior tax counsel Amanda Bartmann works with the IRS’ “national taxpayer advocate,” but she cost taxpayers over $167,000 in salary this year.
Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.
Background: The White House counsel exists to advise the president on all legal issues related to his administration and policy agenda.
Lately, they’ve also been working to protect Biden’s public image.
In February, the White House counsel’s office asked special counsel Robert Hur to amend a legal report that said Biden’s memory “appeared to have significant limitations.”
In March, White House counsel Edward Siskel — who makes $180,000 — wrote a letter urging Speaker Mike Johnson to end an impeachment inquiry into the president. House Republicans have been investigating the president’s family’s business dealings but have not shown evidence of wrongdoing on Biden’s part.
Summary: Trump and Biden might not agree on much, but both have certainly learned to appreciate the value of a good lawyer.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by CEO & founder, Adam Andrzejewski, with Jeremy Portnoy. Learn more at OpenTheBooks.com.
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Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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