Nestled in a recent press release from the Treasury Department announcing new staff appointments was a familiar name within the White House, the son of President Biden's counselor and longtime aide, Steve Ricchetti.
Why it matters: J.J. Ricchetti will serve as a special assistant in Treasury's Office of Legislative Affairs. He's now the fourth immediate family member working in the Biden administration.
- Steve Ricchetti, a former lobbyist, has an office in the White House and regularly accompanies the president to Camp David and other destinations.
- Daniel Ricchetti, his son, serves as senior adviser in the office of the undersecretary for arms control and international security at the State Department.
- Shannon Ricchetti, his daughter, is deputy associate director of the Office of the Social Secretary at the White House.
- The White House declined any on-the-record comment.
What they're saying: White House aides cite their backgrounds to argue they're qualified for the roles and have experience equal to their predecessors, in contrast to complaints about the Trump administration.
- Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were senior aides with large portfolios they came to with little direct experience.
- Kushner, for example, handled the president’s Middle East policy as well as an array of other shifting and far-reaching responsibilities.
Between the lines: Daniel Ricchetti spent seven years working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before moving to the State Department.
- Shannon Ricchetti came to her position with years of research and event planning experience, including at the Aspen Institute.
- And J.J. Ricchetti is a recent college graduate, as was an Obama administration holder of the same job in Treasury's Office of Legislative Affairs.
The big picture: Biden vowed to “restore and maintain public trust in government” by signing an executive order on ethics during his first day in office.
- It broadly received praise from White House ethics experts.
Flashback: On the campaign trail, Biden promised that no one in his family would hold a job in the White House or participate in a business relationship with a foreign government.
- None of his direct family members serve in his administration.
