WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Joe Biden promised throughout his campaign to be a stark contrast to his predecessor in the White House, but he's already facing scrutiny by some because of his brother's involvement with a Boca Raton-based law firm.
Delray Beach resident Frank Biden is the youngest brother of the current commander-in-chief and serves as senior adviser for the Berman Law Group.
The law firm has frequently flaunted Frank Biden's relationship with his brother, even placing a two-page "advertorial" in the Jan. 20 edition of the Daily Business Review that touted the Biden brothers and their commitment to environmental issues. The ad, which coincided with the president's inauguration, promotes an environmental lawsuit against Florida sugarcane companies.
Frank Biden was also the face of the firm during a turkey giveaway in November, speaking to WPTV about the annual event. He also spoke about his brother's pledge to listen to the scientists when it comes to the coronavirus crisis and how his family had "gone through hell in this election."
The president told People magazine in an interview published Wednesday that his family members won't play a role in federal decision-making.
"No one in our family and extended family is going to be involved in any government undertaking or foreign policy," he told the magazine. "And nobody has an office in this place."
The president's remarks were a pointed dig at former President Donald Trump, who hired several family members for high-ranking positions in the White House.
Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, served as advisers to the former president during his time in Washington.
The law firm also filed a pair of class-action lawsuits last year against China and other Chinese governments "for damages suffered as a result of the coronavirus pandemic."
"We have not spoken with federal government officials about any of our cases," Matthew Moore, an attorney at the Berman Law Group, told WPTV in a statement. "There have been no discussions between the firm (including Frank Biden), with President Biden, the campaign, transition or administration about the law firm or any cases, including China-related matters, nor will there be. Frank Biden has had no involvement in the firm's China class actions, and we have made that clear in media interviews since the lawsuit was filed."
WPTV political analyst Brian Crowley said, "at this point, there does not appear to be any wrongdoing by either the law firm or by Frank Biden."
"It sounds like they have mostly advertised that they have a guy who happens to be the brother of the president, and there's nothing wrong with that," Crowley said.