Biden’s Top Science Adviser Resigns Following Revelation Of Workplace ‘Bullying’ And ‘Disrespect’

Eric Lander, a top science adviser to the Biden administration, resigned Monday following an internal investigation late last year that found he had bullied and demeaned colleagues. Lander’s resignation will be effective in less than two weeks.

In his resignation letter addressed to President Joe Biden, Lander, who is the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), said: “I am devastated that I caused hurt to past and present colleagues by the way in which I have spoken to them,” Politico reported. “But it is clear that things I said, and the way I said them, crossed the line at times into being disrespectful and demeaning, to both men and women. That was never my intention,” he wrote, according to CNN.

Lander said his resignation is effective “no later than February 18” to allow for an orderly transfer of his duties and responsibilities.

News of Lander’s resignation came just a day after Politico first revealed details of a recently-concluded White House investigation that found the top science adviser had a “bullying” attitude toward Rachel Wallace, who was Lander’s former general counsel. The outlet obtained an audio recording of the probe wherein White House deputy director of management and administration for personnel, Christian Peele, said there was “credible evidence of disrespectful interactions with staff by Dr. Lander and OSTP leadership.”

Nine current and former OSTP staffers told the outlet that Lander yelled at them and had at times made people feel humiliated.

Peele said in the recording that Lander spoke “harshly and disrespectfully to colleagues in front of other colleagues.” He added that there was credible evidence of “multiple women having complained to other staff about negative interactions with Dr. Lander, where he spoke to them in a demeaning or abrasive way in front of other staff.”

Shortly after details of the probe were revealed Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki seemed to defend the government’s decision to retain Lander as a staff member. Psaki said there was a “process” being followed in handling workplace-related complaints.

It was revealed Monday that Lander wouldn’t be removed from his position and will undergo counseling. Biden said during his oath-taking ceremony for White House staff members early last year that he would fire “on the spot” people who disrespected colleagues.

But later Monday evening, Psaki said the president had accepted Lander’s resignation, Associated Press reported. It is worth noting that the White House review was concluded weeks ago, but it was only confirmed after the Politico report. Furthermore, Lander only apologized after the revelations.