White House counselor Steve Ricchetti’s brother, Jeff Ricchetti, admitted Wednesday he was lobbying the White House on behalf of major health care corporations.
New disclosure reports by CNBC’s Brian Schwartz show Jeff Ricchetti lobbying the Executive Office of the President in the first quarter on behalf of health care companies GlaxoSmithKline, Horizon Therapeutics and Vaxart Inc — even after President Joe Biden took office.
In a statement, Ricchetti did not dispute lobbying the White House but denied lobbying his brother personally.
“I do not lobby my brother and I have not even mentioned to him the names of clients that I currently represent,” Jeff Ricchetti said in an email.
Jeff Ricchetti lobbied the White House on health care issues as his brother advised Biden on the massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue package.
A White House official also denied that the two brothers discussed business and lobbying details.
“Steve Ricchetti does not and has not had conversations with Jeff Ricchetti relating to his business representations on any matter,” the official said to CNBC.
Since the 1990s, Steve Ricchetti has rotated between White House power positions in former President Bill Clinton’s administration and lobbying firms until he was appointed to the Biden administration in January 2020.
The Riccetti brothers sold their first firm to lobbyist Tony Podesta in 1999 and founded another firm after Clinton left office, where Steve Riccetti served as deputy chief of staff under John Podesta. Steve Riccetti ultimately left the firm and served as Biden’s vice presidential chief of staff in the Obama administration in 2011.