COMMENTARY
CBS News Again Under Fire After Its Reporter Asks Psaki if It’s Ethical for Her to Continue White House Briefings

CBS News is in “turmoil” after network executives decided to hire former Trump official Mick Mulvaney, to “gain ‘access’ ahead of a ‘likely’ Democratic midterm wipeout,” a network official was caught on tape admitting, according to The Washington Post.
The news outlet came under fire again on Friday after its senior White House and political correspondent, Ed O’Keefe, asked Biden administration Press Secretary Jen Psaki if it is unethical for her to continue in her current role after an Axios news report revealed she has been in talks for a gig at MSNBC.
“Is it ethical for you to continue conducting this job while negotiating with a media outlet?” O’Keefe asked Psaki inside the White House briefing room.
“I have always gone above the stringent legal and ethical requirements of the Biden administration,: Psaki responded. “I take that very seriously. And as a standard for every federal employee.”
“I have received rigorous ethics counseling as it relates to any future employment,” she added. She said she has also “taken steps to recuse myself as appropriate.”
Axios earlier Friday reported Psaki would be leaving for a job at MSNBC this spring, but made very clear she is working with the White House counsel’s office to ensure she does not violate any ethics laws and has not formalized any plans.
Reporter: Is it ethical for you to continue conducting this job while negotiating with a media outlet? pic.twitter.com/Nmbje8NMQ8
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 1, 2022
Blowback was swift:
Wait is this a CBS news guy after they just hired that Mulvaney liar?
— 🌻🌻🧑🏻👩🏻🧑🏻📷 📺 And Now This… (@hcesd) April 1, 2022
Same press corps had less of an issue of Kayleigh McEnany literally acting simultaneously as White House spokesperson and Trump Campaign spokesperson than they do with Jen Psaki reportedly having an interview… https://t.co/THCc99yeoE
— Let’s Go Gophers (@Lionel_Hutz_Esq) April 1, 2022
Stupid senseless question.
— Frank Lee (@Franklee255B) April 1, 2022
From the CBS guy whose network just hired the liar Mulvaney and besides when did the press give a shit about ethics because they certainly didn’t when Trump was president. https://t.co/aQJmvdLgMo
— Andrea R MD (@AndreaR9Md) April 1, 2022
Omfg 🤬 Trump hired multiple Fox News minions and now Kayleigh works for Fox https://t.co/kiz57bH8Ds
— Shawny🦋 (@Shawnrobb72) April 1, 2022
Really? REALLY? After the multiple ethics violations of Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders Huckabee, Stephanie Grisham, Kelly McEnany & Kellyanne Conway, your 1st ethics question of a President’s spokesperson is of Jen Psaki for doing a job interview while employed? Wow, mind blowing. https://t.co/LOYpVTZLqb
— Imagine… (@SpeediMart) April 1, 2022
Siri, who was Tony Snow? https://t.co/5q5yjOZyo8
— Kerr Avon Підтримує Україну (@KerrAvon4) April 1, 2022
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