The Trump administration has garnered criticism after an investigation revealed that the top Health and Human Services (HHS) official overseeing the department’s day-to-day coronavirus response has little public health experience and previously worked as a dog breeder.
A Reuters investigation revealed that HHS Secretary Alex Azar appointed a top aide, Brian Harrison, to oversee the department’s daily efforts against the virus, despite Harrison having little public health experience outside of one year at HHS in 2006 as Azar’s “confidential assistant” while Azar was deputy secretary.
The news drew negative comments online, including from former Office of Government Ethics director Walter Shaub.
In January, Azar tapped an aide "with minimal public health experience to lead the agency’s day-to-day response to COVID-19." The aide, Brian Harrison, "had joined the department after running a dog-breeding business for six years.”
Because, of course. https://t.co/nbayisUZfQ
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 23, 2020
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Harrison has also worked for former Vice President Dick Cheney, according to Reuters, as well as the Department of Defense and a PR firm.
Harrison owned a labradoodle breeding company in Texas from 2012 to 2018, the news service reported. Since rejoining HHS in 2019, he has served as deputy chief of staff and chief of staff to Azar.
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Trump health chief faces heat for naming aide with little experience to lead coronavirus response https://t.co/dmFq419ngz pic.twitter.com/LtXj1ifLXE
— The Hill (@thehill) April 23, 2020
"you SAID to find somebody with experience running labs" https://t.co/JHCnJ4OSjB
— Ariel Edwards-Levy (@aedwardslevy) April 23, 2020
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