White House Probe Reportedly Finds Biden's Top Science Adviser Bullied, Demeaned Employees

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A White House investigation into Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Eric Lander found that he bullied and demeaned subordinate employees, Politico reported on Monday.

The investigation found credible evidence of instances of multiple women having complained to other staff about negative interactions with Lander, where he spoke to them in a demeaning or abrasive way in front of other staff, the report quoted White House Deputy Director of Personnel Management and Administration Christian Peele as saying.

On Friday, Lander sent an email to OSTP staff acknowledging that he spoke to colleagues in a disrespectful or demeaning way and apologizing for his conduct, the report said.

An OSTP spokesperson confirmed that an investigation was conducted and found credible evidence of workplace behavior policy violations and corrective action has been taken, the report said.

White House staffer Rachel Wallace registered a complaint against Lander and other OSTP leadership in September after he called women names, embarrassed and laughed at them as well as shunned them, the report added.

The White House is requiring Lander hold more collaborative meetings with subordinates and mandating all-staff workplace policy training, according to the report.

Lander is known in the scientific community for his contributions to the mapping of the human genome. He and other health experts are scheduled to testify in front of the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday about advanced biomedical research projects.