The Counselor to the President, Steve Ricchetti, gestures after playing a round of golf with US President Joe Biden.
The brother of one of President Joe Biden's closest advisors is going to work on behalf of a client.
The brother of a White House counselor was hired by Medigen Vaccine Biologics, according to a new lobbying disclosure report first reviewed by CNBC.
According to the registration form, Ricchetti filed to lobby for the firm in December and will focus on issues related to Covid-19 vaccines accepted for foreign travelers in the United States.
Medigen is based in Taiwan, where the vaccine has only been approved for use. As the U.S. sees a wave of new Covid cases and the Biden administration scrambles to deal with the consequences, it was decided to hire Ricchetti.
Medigen hopes to get its Covid-19 vaccine approved for those traveling to the United States by air and to expand its influence in the Biden administration by landing a lobbyist. The Medigen vaccine is not listed on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Taiwan is a self-governed island that is in a standoff with China over its independence. China claims that Taiwan is its territory and has threatened to take drastic measures to stop the country from moving toward independence.
They did not return a request for comment.
The first lobbyist hired by the Taiwan-based company was Jeff Ricchetti. Since the start of the new administration, there has been a wave of new clients. They include Amazon. Steve was involved in helping to get congressional support for the $1 trillion infrastructure bill.
He told CNBC earlier this year that he no longer plans to work with the White House on behalf of clients.
