Biden Opts Not to Report Free Vacation Stays on Ethics Forms

President Joe Biden failed to include his complimentary vacation stays at the residences of affluent supporters in his annual ethics forms, which were made public this week, violating a federal transparency regulation that has been in place for four decades.

This oversight regarding the four vacations in 2023 occurred shortly after ProPublica was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for its investigative series on Supreme Court justices accepting gifts and free travel for an extended period.

As per the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, federal officeholders are required to disclose gifts in their annual financial reports. However, according to the documents, Biden did not list any of these stays on the forms that he signed.

Richard Painter, who previously served as the chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, emphasized that intentional omission of a gift, which constitutes a deliberate lie, could potentially lead to criminal charges. In an interview with the New York Post, Painter stated, “It just seems to me to be stupid to leave it off the form because everyone knows about [presidential] trips and everyone’s going to ask who paid.”

The Biden family began 2023 with a complimentary stay at the St. Croix residence of Bill and Connie Neville, and then concluded the year with another free stay at a beachfront property typically listed on VRBO. Bill Neville is the founder of U.S. Viking, a software company that produces ENPS, a news production software system distributed by The Associated Press.

Additionally, Biden spent six days during Thanksgiving last year at the property of billionaire hedge fund founder David Rubenstein in Nantucket, and nine days in August at the waterfront retreat of billionaire climate investor Tom Steyer in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

While it was initially believed that the stay at Rubenstein’s residence was unpaid, no confirmation has been provided. The White House originally stated that Biden would pay “fair market value” for utilizing Steyer’s home. However, a local investigation revealed that Steyer did not possess a rental permit. Although the probe was abruptly closed, the terms of the alleged rental agreement were never disclosed.

None of the property owners were present during any of the four trips taken by Biden in 2023.

Painter warned that deliberately omitting gifts from ethics forms could make Biden or his team criminally liable for providing false information. He explained, “If [Biden] knew the gift schedule was incomplete and someone told him, he would have the same liability.” This offense could be punishable by up to five years in prison under 18 U.S. Code § 1001.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., criticized the lack of consequences for failing to report gifts, urging Congress to intervene and enhance transparency in federal ethics laws. Comer stated, “The radical left’s silence on President Biden’s many ethics issues is deafening.”