Axios
Biden’s lawyers remind Kamala Harris’ niece that she can not benefit from the aunt’s name
Biden’s lawyers for the transition team reminded the cousin of Kamala Harris, vice-president, Meena, that she could not take advantage of the image of her famous aunt, after revealing a collaboration between her company and Beats By Dre. Elected President Joe Biden has promised that neither his family nor Harris’ will benefit from their service as president and vice president. Be smart: sign up for the most influential newsletter in America for FREE. * While Meena Harris did nothing illegal, it highlighted the challenge of keeping family members in line with the higher ethical standards promised by the incoming government. The background: The specially composed products come in a black box and contain a black hoodie. affixed with the word AMBITIOUS on the front; a Bluetooth speaker with the word PHENOMENAL on it; and the over-the-ear headphones. * Ambitious refers to the criticism some have leveled at Harris, who was a first-term senator, because Biden weighed a variety of female candidates to be his candidate. * Phenomenal is a female lifestyle brand of which Meena Harris is the CEO. The backbone that connects the two audiences reads’ The First But Not The Last ‘, a clear reference to Kamala Harris’ first female vice president. * Although the products are not for sale, they were donated to influencers and celebrities prior to the inauguration. The team around the incoming vice president has not been made aware of the collaboration beforehand, people familiar with the situation told Axios. The lawyers followed up and told Meena Harris that she – like anyone else – could not take advantage of Harris’ image or likeness once she became vice president. * Meena Harris’s team did not respond to a request for comment. * Meena is the daughter of Kamala Harris’ sister, Maya. Between the lines: The optics of Meena Harris’ businesses are particularly challenging after Democrats criticized for four years over business deals involving President Trump and his children, and after Biden’s public promise to avoid any influence hawker. “My son, my family is not involved in a business, a business that is in conflict with or appears to be,” he said last year. * In December, advocates for the presidential transition team ‘set new rules for the Biden White House that are likely to be more restrictive than the rules governing the Obama administration,’ according to the Washington Post. The gist: Phenomenal has been selling several other items inspired by Kamala Harris since Biden announced her as his running mate. * It contains a sweater with ‘MVP’ on it, which stands for ‘Mrs Vice President’, and another with the phrase ‘I speak’ on the front – a wink to a moment when Kamala Harris complained has that he was interrupted during a vice-presidential debate. * After Kamala Harris received the “too ambitious” criticism, her niece created and sold a pink sweater with “AMBITIOUS” on the front. “I see her as a different figure in history and as someone to be celebrated,” she said in an interview with the New York Times about her aunt. Smarter, faster with the news read by CEOs, entrepreneurs and top politicians. Sign up here for Axios newsletters.