‘I’m sorry that that op-ed appeared…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., apologized to Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden after one of his campaign surrogates published an op-ed accusing Biden of corruption.
The op-ed, written by Zephyr Teachout — who does not have an official role with the Sanders campaign but has endorsed and campaigned for the presidential candidate — stated that “Joe Biden has a big corruption problem.”
Teachout wrote that “Middle Class Joe” “perfected the art of taking big contributions, then representing his corporate donors at the cost of middle- and working-class Americans.”
The day before the Senate impeachment trial against Trump begins, the Bernie Sanders campaign circulates this op-ed attack on Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/ReEsU2Lkrn
— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) January 20, 2020
Published in The Guardian, the op-ed accused Biden of “converting campaign contributions into legislative favors and policy positions.”
“Biden has a big corruption problem and it makes him a weak candidate,” Teachout, a law professor, continued. “I know it seems crazy, but a lot of the voters we need — independents and people who might stay home — will look at Biden and Trump and say: ‘They’re all dirty.’”
A new book by investigative reporter Peter Schweizer, released Tuesday, details how at least five members of Biden’s family benefited financially from his powerful position as Vice President.
Sanders told CBS News that he regretted Teachout’s op-ed and said that it in no way reflects his views.
“It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way. And I’m sorry that that op-ed appeared,” he said.
Biden responded to Sanders’s comments and said that Teachout’s attacks “have no place in this primary.”
Thanks for acknowledging this, Bernie. These kinds of attacks have no place in this primary. Let’s all keep our focus on making Donald Trump a one-term president. https://t.co/tmFbLm98xd
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) January 21, 2020
Schweizer’s book also charges that Sanders has his own ethical challenges.
“There are various ways taxpayer money, school money other things that have flowed to the family and have made the Sanders family very very wealthy,” he told Breitbart News.