[Goose]

When he was first announced, I liked the appointment of Slaoui  as an experienced guy to head up operation Warp Speed, the multi-billion dollar effort to accelerate development of a COVID-19 vaccine (one of the few moves the administration has done that I wholeheartedly support).  However, this doesn't sit right:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pau...arns-delay

The chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s program investing billions of dollars into discovering a coronavirus vaccine, says media scrutiny of his stock ownership may delay a vaccine or make its discovery less likely because it is distracting him from his work.

I'm sorry, but media scrutiny of his stock ownership and potential conflicts of interest are appropriate, especially given his unusual arrangement that has him heading the operation as a contractor and exempts him from ethics rules.  Given the accelerated nature of the project and the importance of people trusting the resultant vaccines of being safe and effective, if anything, greater scrutiny of the individuals running it is indicated. You want to bend over backwards for Warp Speed and the entire process to look 100% clean.

While I understand what you are saying about wanting to ensure there are no potential conflicts of interest, that would be impossible given that Saloui owned that stock when he took the job, and when he signed on to be paid a dollar it was in the full knowledge that he wasn't going to divest himself. It may be that a "true patriot" would do so, but that wasn't the deal.
In point of fact, almost anybody who is knowledgeable about a given topic has conflicts of interest. Some are that you previously worked for X and now love/hate them. Right now, the forms to actually take a government job make having a 401K plan that you manage yourself problematic.

From the article:

“Dr. Slaoui doesn’t seem to understand that what he perceives as attacks aren’t personal and they aren’t ‘fake news,’” said Zupnick. “They are about making sure that the public can trust that Operation Warp Speed is operating in the best interests of patients and public health and not engaging in the cronyism and corruption that is so pervasive through the Trump administration.”

Of course it is personal. The fact that he owns stock is relevant only if one believes that he would act improperly to increase the value of said stock.  If there is no doubt about his integrity and that he wouldn't do so, it is irrelevant. It is clear that Zupnick thinks it is relevant because anyone who works in the Trump administration is willing to engage in "cronyism and corruption". I want to see him say the same to Mad Dog's face.
It was of course equally personal when it was reported Hunter Biden worked for a company in Ukraine who payed him lots of money. Obviously that is relevant only if you believe that Hunter Biden would attempt to influence Joe Biden in some way, and that Joe Biden would be so influenced.

I also think the quote from the HHS secretary of public affairs was a pretty low blow.

“The American people need to understand that the media often times are lying to them because they don’t want a vaccine, in order to defeat Donald Trump,” Caputo said at one point.

I have not seen any evidence of the media not wanting a vaccine.  Generally speaking, the media coverage of Operation Warp Speed and the early trial results has been cautiously positive (perhaps a bit too positive about the Moderna vaccine, in my opinion, given the safety data observed to date).  Obviously, "the media" is of immense proportions and it would be impossible to see everything that media has said and done, but again, I've seen no evidence of systematic concern trolling about the vaccines.

BC

For sure there is no evidence "the media" is lying because they don’t want a vaccine in order to defeat Donald Trump. First of all, the vaccine, if and when it comes, isn't going to be ready before November. It can't help Trump. Second, the media isn't lying, at least in this case. Saloui does own the stock.
The statement from the director of HHS public affairs is just plain stupid. Once again, it is somebody attacking the supposed motive for the action, not the action itself. Zupnick apparently believes Saloui is corrupt, based on the fact Zupnick reported this stock ownership and followed up with a statement associating Saloui with an alleged pattern of corrupt actions by the Trump administration. That is a sufficient reason and explanation for Zupnick's actions. No "media conspiracy" is needed to explain those actions.
What Caputo could have, and should have said is that Saloui took the job owning that stock, we knew that, we don't care. If he does something you can prove is improper, let us know and we will investigate. End of discussion.

[Goose]

When he was first announced, I liked the appointment of Slaoui  as an experienced guy to head up operation Warp Speed, the multi-billion dollar effort to accelerate development of a COVID-19 vaccine (one of the few moves the administration has done that I wholeheartedly support).  However, this doesn't sit right:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pau...arns-delay

The chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s program investing billions of dollars into discovering a coronavirus vaccine, says media scrutiny of his stock ownership may delay a vaccine or make its discovery less likely because it is distracting him from his work.

I'm sorry, but media scrutiny of his stock ownership and potential conflicts of interest are appropriate, especially given his unusual arrangement that has him heading the operation as a contractor and exempts him from ethics rules.  Given the accelerated nature of the project and the importance of people trusting the resultant vaccines of being safe and effective, if anything, greater scrutiny of the individuals running it is indicated. You want to bend over backwards for Warp Speed and the entire process to look 100% clean.

While I understand what you are saying about wanting to ensure there are no potential conflicts of interest, that would be impossible given that Saloui owned that stock when he took the job, and when he signed on to be paid a dollar it was in the full knowledge that he wasn't going to divest himself. It may be that a "true patriot" would do so, but that wasn't the deal.
In point of fact, almost anybody who is knowledgeable about a given topic has conflicts of interest. Some are that you previously worked for X and now love/hate them. Right now, the forms to actually take a government job make having a 401K plan that you manage yourself problematic.

From the article:

“Dr. Slaoui doesn’t seem to understand that what he perceives as attacks aren’t personal and they aren’t ‘fake news,’” said Zupnick. “They are about making sure that the public can trust that Operation Warp Speed is operating in the best interests of patients and public health and not engaging in the cronyism and corruption that is so pervasive through the Trump administration.”

Of course it is personal. The fact that he owns stock is relevant only if one believes that he would act improperly to increase the value of said stock.  If there is no doubt about his integrity and that he wouldn't do so, it is irrelevant. It is clear that Zupnick thinks it is relevant because anyone who works in the Trump administration is willing to engage in "cronyism and corruption". I want to see him say the same to Mad Dog's face.
It was of course equally personal when it was reported Hunter Biden worked for a company in Ukraine who payed him lots of money. Obviously that is relevant only if you believe that Hunter Biden would attempt to influence Joe Biden in some way, and that Joe Biden would be so influenced.

I also think the quote from the HHS secretary of public affairs was a pretty low blow.

“The American people need to understand that the media often times are lying to them because they don’t want a vaccine, in order to defeat Donald Trump,” Caputo said at one point.

I have not seen any evidence of the media not wanting a vaccine.  Generally speaking, the media coverage of Operation Warp Speed and the early trial results has been cautiously positive (perhaps a bit too positive about the Moderna vaccine, in my opinion, given the safety data observed to date).  Obviously, "the media" is of immense proportions and it would be impossible to see everything that media has said and done, but again, I've seen no evidence of systematic concern trolling about the vaccines.

BC

For sure there is no evidence "the media" is lying because they don’t want a vaccine in order to defeat Donald Trump. First of all, the vaccine, if and when it comes, isn't going to be ready before November. It can't help Trump. Second, the media isn't lying, at least in this case. Saloui does own the stock.
The statement from the director of HHS public affairs is just plain stupid. Once again, it is somebody attacking the supposed motive for the action, not the action itself. Zupnick apparently believes Saloui is corrupt, based on the fact Zupnick reported this stock ownership and followed up with a statement associating Saloui with an alleged pattern of corrupt actions by the Trump administration. That is a sufficient reason and explanation for Zupnick's actions. No "media conspiracy" is needed to explain those actions.
What Caputo could have, and should have said is that Saloui took the job owning that stock, we knew that, we don't care. If he does something you can prove is improper, let us know and we will investigate. End of discussion.