Sources detail Eric Schmidt's influence over Biden's Office of Science and Technology Policy; Schmidt's charity indirectly paid the salaries of two employees
As President Joe Biden granted his science office unprecedented access and power, one outside adviser to that office has attained … Tweets: @alexthomp , @alexthomp , @alexthomp , @_jack_poulson , and @justinhendrix Tweets: Alex Thompson / @alexthomp : NEW: the charity arm of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt indirectly paid the salaries of two WH science office employees including the now-chief of staff, sparking “significant” internal ethical concerns & battles My investigation into Schmidt & Biden admin https://www.politico.com/... Alex Thompson / @alexthomp : Internal red flags went up in August when Elaine Ho, the deputy chief of staff for workforce, wrote an email in saying DOE “has secured Schmidt Futures as a funding source for Marc [Aidinoff]... and Kei [Koizumi] has already reached out to Tom [Kalil].” Alex Thompson / @alexthomp : Other ethical fights broke out last fall because Tom Kalil, an OSTP alum, was serving as an unpaid consultant at the science office while still working as chief innovation officer at Schmidt Futures Jack Poulson / @_jack_poulson : “[The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy]'s efforts to arrange for Schmidt Futures to pay the salaries of Lander's staff sparked “significant” ethical concerns...according to...then-general counsel, Rachel Wallace” @AlexThomp https://www.politico.com/... https://twitter.com/... Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix : How a Google billionaire helped pay for Biden's science office-exclusive @AlexThomp report on the influence of Eric Schmidt, including paying salaries... is this how we want things to work? https://www.politico.com/... via @politico
Context & Ripple Effects
This is the opening installment of Alex Thompson's investigation into how former Google CEO Eric Schmidt converted his early backing of Joe Biden's 2020 campaign into standing influence inside the Office of Science and Technology Policy — with Schmidt Futures indirectly paying the salaries of two OSTP employees, including the future chief of staff, and Tom Kalil consulting unpaid while still drawing a Schmidt Futures paycheck.
The story set the template for what followed: by year-end the same reporting had documented Schmidt-linked funding reaching more than 24 administration officials, and it compounded earlier conflict-of-interest questions around his AI startup investments made while chairing the National Security Commission on AI.
First-order effects
- OSTP leadership faces 'significant' internal ethical battles over outside pay arrangements, with the office's own chief of staff among the employees whose salary was indirectly funded by Schmidt's charity.
Second-order effects
- Agencies and offices hosting charity-funded staffers come under scrutiny as the pattern widens beyond OSTP, forcing funders like Schmidt Futures and host offices alike toward harder disclosure choices.
Third-order effects
- If philanthropy-funded staffing becomes routine, individual billionaires can shape federal science and AI policy without formal appointment — inviting congressional and ethics-watchdog pressure on rules governing outside compensation of government personnel.
The trend: Billionaire tech philanthropy is becoming a de facto staffing channel for federal science agencies, with Schmidt's funding model serving as the template others are following.